DEAR READERS: Welcome to 2015! If the last year was challenging for some of us, a new one has arrived, bringing with it our chance for a new beginning.

Today is the day we have an opportunity to discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones, and with that in mind, I will share Dear Abby's often-requested list of New Year's Resolutions, which were adapted by my late mother, Pauline Phillips, from the original credo of Al-Anon:

JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.

I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully -- if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

And now, Dear Readers, I would like to share an item that was sent to me by L.J. Bhatia, a reader from New Delhi, India:

DEAR ABBY: This year, no resolutions, only some guidelines. The Holy Vedas say, "Man has subjected himself to thousands of self-inflicted bondages. Wisdom comes to a man who lives according to the true eternal laws of nature."

The prayer of St. Francis (of which there are several versions) contains a powerful message:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

"Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

"Where there is injury, pardon;

"Where there is doubt, faith;

"Where there is despair, hope;

"Where there is darkness, light;

"And where there is sadness, joy.

"O Divine Master,

"Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

"To be understood, as to understand;

"To be loved, as to love;

"For it is in giving that we receive,

"It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

"And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

And so, Dear Readers, may this new year bring with it good health, peace and joy to all of you. -- LOVE, ABBY

DEAR ABBY: My 16-year-old daughter, "Sierra," started baby-sitting in the afternoons for a couple when she was 15. Sometimes her dad or I would drop her off; sometimes the husband, "Karl," would before he left for work. My husband and Karl became friends, and when Karl and his wife split up, we let him stay on our couch for a few months.

Then we found out Sierra was pregnant and that she and Karl had been sleeping together before he split with his wife. My daughter is upset that we want to involve the police and press charges because she was underage. How can I get Sierra to stop hating me and understand that this relationship isn't healthy? -- "THE ENEMY MOM" IN SOUTH CAROLINA

DEAR "ENEMY MOM": Sierra is mad at you because you are injecting an unwelcome note of reality into her fantasy of "love." Karl is a predator who needs to be answerable for what he did. He will also have to support that child until he or she is no longer a minor. Because he has shown himself to be amoral and irresponsible, involve not only the police but also the department of social services to ensure that he lives up to all of his responsibilities.

DEAR ABBY: It was brought to my attention that an employee in my workplace was asked by his supervisor if he would be OK with working with a gay male before the person was interviewed. Is this even legal? She basically "outed" the potential employee in the workplace.

If the person she asked did have a problem working with someone who's gay, it implies the man wouldn't have been hired, which would be discrimination, wouldn't it? Couldn't that lead to a possible lawsuit? Or am I wrong? -- RIGHT OR WRONG IN WISCONSIN

DEAR RIGHT OR WRONG: I discussed your question with an attorney from Lambda Legal, the national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people. Currently, 21 states plus the District of Columbia have laws that protect gay people from employment discrimination. Wisconsin is one of them.

The attorney said that "outing" the candidate to the other employee was "not necessarily illegal," but that it was "definitely a bad business practice."

In the 21 states that offer protection for gay people, a prospective employer cannot base a hiring decision on how comfortable someone is with the candidate's sexual orientation, or the perception that a co-worker or customer might be uncomfortable with a gay person. That is discrimination, and it is illegal.

DEAR READERS: The year is almost over -- I can't believe how fast it has gone! Please accept my heartfelt wish for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015. And if you are partying this evening, please be safe! -- LOVE, ABBY

DEAR ABBY: "Left Out in Florida" (Sept. 2) feels it is inconsiderate of her daughter-in-law to speak only her native language (not English) with her children in front of their grandparents. You advised that the mother should speak English in this situation.

My son attends a bilingual immersion school, and I have experience with this issue. I have attended lectures about raising bilingual children.

It is extremely difficult to pass on a language other than English to kids living in America. As the children grow, they will be increasingly drawn to English. The most successful families are those who do exactly what the mom in the letter is doing. They speak only their native language with their children and are very persistent about it. This is the recommendation of the experts in the field.

What should also be happening is translation for others when necessary. Ideally, there is a level of support from family and friends who understand what a worthwhile, yet difficult, task this is. Grandparents don't need to understand everything that is said, and their job is to speak English with the youngsters so they become truly bilingual.

Bilingualism is an incredible gift to give a child. It goes beyond just learning another language. It broadens mental development, thought patterns and world perspective. It must be done during childhood while the brain is still pliable, and continue until adulthood or the language will be lost.

These parents obviously understand the value of what they are doing. I hope the grandparents will support it. -- BILINGUAL MOM IN OREGON

DEAR BILINGUAL MOM: Thank you for lending your insight. I heard from others who, like you, have firsthand knowledge on this issue:

DEAR ABBY: My son also married a woman from another country. She has spoken only her native tongue to my granddaughter from day one. My son speaks English to his daughter. My daughter-in-law speaks English to me.

I care for the little girl three days a week. She's 4 and completely bilingual. I thank my lucky stars that she has this opportunity. And I'm glad for her other grandparents, who do not live in this country or speak English, but can communicate with her. I don't worry that they're secretly talking about me. "Left Out" should be grateful her grandkids have this huge advantage. -- JEAN IN MILLERSVILLE, MD.

DEAR ABBY: I wish you had suggested to "Left Out" that she and her husband try to learn the language of their grandchildren. It's not difficult to learn a few foreign conversational phrases, or even be able to carry on a coherent conversation using free or inexpensive tools available at the library or online.

Of course, in order to do that, they have to want to reach out and make the effort. Perhaps if they did, the daughter-in-law might feel a little more welcoming and less distant.

Ever since my grandkids started attending a bilingual school, I have been studying to try to keep up with them, and so have the other grandparents. Communication is a two-way street! -- JUDI IN ELGIN, S.C.