Here we are at the start of 2017, with a new week, new month, and new year all starting on the same day. That seems auspicious for whatever reason.

My goal of writing a blog entry every week in 2016 didn’t happen, although I did manage to write almost one per month. I guess I had better keep the same goal for 2017. Since I’ve already posted a recipe this morning, it seems that I’m off to a great start. Another auspicious sign!

Many people have been eagerly awaiting the end of 2016, as though the change of an arbitrary digit in our human-selected epoch would miraculously change something about the universe. I’m skeptical of that outcome, although maybe 2017 will bring better attitudes; that would be a miracle in its own way.

As for me, I think there was a lot of great stuff in 2016 to balance the bad. Sure, we had a terrible Presidential election season between the two least-liked candidates in history, but less than five minutes of research also shows plenty of other positive things:

• Pope Francis met with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church for the first time in nearly 1000 years.
• NASA’s Juno spacecraft successfully entered the orbit of Jupiter.
• The Cubs had their first World Series win in over 100 years.
• Most estimates indicate that Americans gave more to charity than ever before.
• There are promising Ebola and Zika vaccines that entered human clinical trials. They may be broadly available within a couple of years.
• 2016 was the second-safest year for aviation in history.
• If the government statistics are to be believed, nearly everybody has a job and wages are rising for the first time in a couple of decades.
• The housing market has regained all of the value that was lost in 2008, and in a lot of places it has gone well above the previous high.
• The stock markets ended the year at record highs.
• On a personal level, my daughter was born healthy and is growing normally so far.

Although there’s plenty to complain about, there’s also plenty to celebrate. Let’s remember to give thanks for the good parts of 2016, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes in 2017. Hopefully at least as many good things as last year!