Over the holidays, @joythebaker and I hosted a dinner for friends in the spirit of a traditionally New Orleans réveillon (sans the midnight mass). We drank and ate gumbo z’herbes and rabbit pot pie, and one-by-one I asked each person a question—some variation of either, “What’s one thing from 2018 you hope to carry in to the new year,” or “What’s something for which you’re currently grateful?” The questions were basic and the answers weren’t really surprising—collectively, we’re grateful for family, for growth, for our health, for re/discovering joy or personal strength. But each of these conversations also offered a reminder of how important it is to find gratitude and perspective, and to make time to simply listen to others. From @jdonenfeld: “Your time is only your own, and it’s yours to waste, or it’s yours to take advantage of.”