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Last night as I thought about the coming new year, I tried to recall all the things we had done during this year. It certainly went by fast, I thought to myself. Or is this feeling just a sign of aging?

When we're children, the transitory years seem endless and seamless. As we grow older the years begin to flee like a river running downhill in the early spring as the snow melts in the mountains.

As I lay in my bed thinking, trying to put the pieces of the year together, I found my memory sporadic. Did we go on the cruise with the children and grandchildren this past Easter or was it the year before? Are the grandchildren really reaching their teens already? Did I spot some gray hairs on my older son's head during his Thanksgiving holiday with us?

My mind spun out memories of this year that so quickly will become history. We had such a busy and happy year, working and playing with family and friends.

It was only when we read the news on the front page of our newspapers or turned on the television that all the world's ugliness and pain invaded our lives. When that happened I'd turn my thoughts to my children and grandchildren. They are the light of our lives and the future.

We are indeed fortunate grandparents because our grandsons are within driving distance. Time spent with them during their vacations fill us with optimism.

Today's communication devices have helped turn youngsters such as our grandsons into founts of information. Of course, they don't always get the information we would like them to have, but we know when they're ready it's there at the press of a computer button. They are children of the Internet, and the whole world is at their fingertips.

As I tried to remember all that happened in 2005, I began flipping through my date book. Then I realized come January all would be revealed. The letters IRS came to mind. The Internal Revenue Service doesn't merely collect our hard-earned dollars and hand them to politicians to spend frivolously. The IRS is also a memory bank. Collected receipts are the windows to our past. They reveal where we've been and what we've done.

Money spent is the paper trail to everything. Each January as I go over my purchases, large and small, I get to realize once again the joys and pain of daily life. Nothing begets nothing is the message received.

Money governs how we live and probably how we think about the world around us. For many, accumulating money is a goal in itself. On the other hand, the pleasure of spending money is the motivator that makes us get up in the morning and go to work.

Saving money for future expenses is one way to relieve stress and medical bills. Stress plays havoc with our bodies and minds. It weakens our immune systems leaving us vulnerable to all sorts of bad diseases.

But we have the power, if we want to use it, to make a difference that counts. The New Year is a good time to begin taking better care of ourselves. We may not have power over others, but we do have power over ourselves, if we use it.

For instance, yesterday my darling husband and I had our yearly physical and were pleased with the results. This year we managed to lose a few pounds and a lot of bad cholesterol. We've been diligent about exercising and eating right. It's paid off handsomely. That means fewer pharmacy bills. It means starting the new year with optimism and energy.

We look forward to another happy and healthy year with family and friends. I wish the same to my readers. Happy New Year all.

E-mail Barbara Bova at babova@naplesnews.com