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Mayor's Message
“We create beautiful memories, not to hold on to the past, but to leave pieces of our love behind.”
- Unknown
“The moments we tend with care today, become the memories what will comfort others tomorrow.”
- Unknown
As we approach the end of 2025, I find myself reflecting on past years’ celebrations, and those individuals who were key to the beautiful memories I have of Christmases and New Years past. While to many this will seem nostalgic, it is in reminiscing that I gain a great appreciation for those who touched my life, and provided me with beautiful memories that I look back on with fondness and love.
Now, as I approach the twilight years of my life, I look back and appreciate the people who helped form my early memories, loved ones who are now gone, but who are still deeply loved and appreciated. My Grandparents, my Mom and Dad, my Sister Janet and my Son Jon, along with aunts, uncles and cousins, who while physically gone, will never be forgotten.
When I think of our past together I don’t remember every detail; what I remembers is how they made me feel: the warmth of being understood, the comfort of being known, the joy of being loved without condition. Those memories are beautiful not because they were perfect, but because they were real. They remind me that those who I have lost are still part of me, woven into who I am, and serve as an example of how I should share myself with those I love. If I am remembered, I hope it is not for grand gestures, but for simple ones; for listening, for caring, for loving well. To be remembered with both a smile and a tear would mean that my love was felt deeply--- and that, to me, is a life beautifully lived.
For all the young families that are building new traditions, always remember, that life is about creating beautiful memories that will be there, years from now, when certain loved ones have passed on in life. Because of this, be intentional about the memories you create; give your love freely, show up fully, and savor small moments that one day mean more than you might really know. For all of you, may this holiday season of 2025 – 2026 provide you with joy and happiness as well as a brief reprieve from the problems of our world. Create beautiful memories that feel safe, kind and genuine, and have a joyous New Years from all of us at the City of Darien.
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