Dong, dong, dong.
Very soon that sound will ring out 12 times. We have a cuckoo clock in our house and it chimes on the hour every hour, twelve hours a day. Yet when the striking of the clock happens tonight, it becomes a magical time. The striking of midnight moving us from one year into the next offers more to the human spirit than, quite possibly, any other day. People look at this millisecond as a time of new beginnings, new hopes, fresh starts, and the end of the old. Yet, in reading my feeds today, even this has brought disagreement.
Along with all of the well wishes for the New Year have come a number of posts questioning why people follow this ritual in this day and age. For the past decade or so, I have been following much along the lines of the ones who have turned from New Year’s resolutions. Yet, I stand by ready to support any friend or family member who steps up in the morning and states their newly found intentions.
While I will be sending out New Year’s wishes at the end of this post, I just cannot put that much pressure on any one day. I tried for so many years to use December 31st as a day of self-reflection and list those things that I needed to end and the new traits that should be followed. I listed them on paper, on whiteboards, on sticky notes adhered to the fridge. I purchased so many items in the first couple of days of January in hopes of becoming more organized, harder working, physically fit, etc. The lists used to be long for I always felt that there was so much to change.
I started dreading the coming of the New Year for part of the inner soul searching would always bring up the lists from years past – lists with so little completed. The final attempts came on the tolling of the bells shortly after our daughter was born. My list now included being a better husband and father (mind you, I had been a father for a total of 17 days). I followed what I had been taught to do since I was a young lad. I placed pressure upon myself like no other person could do.
I totally understand the want to do this. I get that we get caught up in the revelry. The holiday comes on the heal of Christmas or Hanukah when peace is supposedly the want of all. Why should we not set aside a day to look inwards and find out how to be a better person. Why not set myself up to fail – for fail is what I did every year. The only person who could hold this failure over me was me – I can be rather mean to myself.
I believe it was the following year when I started questioning this method. I was joking with my now 1-year-old about what her resolutions should be: eat my peas, drink my milk, sleep through the night every night, … I stopped and I stared at our little child. What in the world was I doing?
It was then that I decided to stop with this tradition for myself. This does not mean that I do not self-reflect and look for ways to improve. It is just now, I do it through out the year. I find one item at a time that I would like to change – two or three at most. I then quietly – no loud announcements – try to make those changes happen. I took the pressure off New Year’s Day. I no longer look at it as a day of forced change. It is another day. The worst part of the day is having to remember to write the correct year.
New Year’s is still a time to celebrate. I celebrate the old friends whom I still call friend. I cherish the family members that are still with us as the year changes. I take a quiet moment and think of those who no longer can celebrate with us in person. New Year’s has become happy for me because I removed the worries of what will I promise today that I will break tomorrow.
So here are my thoughts for New Year’s:
As we sit here on the verge of a New Year, I think of my family and friends. I ponder where each and every one of you are this evening. I wonder where you are physically as well as mentally, and in your road of life. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and offer this prayer for all.
I pray as we enter the New Year that you are well, and if you are not that you have the strength to fight towards better days.
I pray that you have what you need in life. Not just in material goods, but also in having a caring family and/or friendships to support you when you need it.
I pray that you support those who need it.
I pray that this New Year will bring you more smiles than tears. However, when the tears do come that they are short lived.
I pray that those looking for work find that job that will provide what they need.
For those looking for love, I pray that it finds you and forever wraps you in the warmth of another.
I cannot pray that you have nothing but happiness for the New Year for life does not work like that. I can pray that the happy days outnumber the sad. I can pray that God gives you the strength, courage, and perseverance to get through the tough times. I pray that if you lose someone in the coming year that their love will always be with you.
Finally, for those who have struggled through this holiday season or longer that this be the year, I 
pray that you are lifted to a better place.
The ringing of the bells in a few hours will not magically make the world a better place. For some, the hour will strike and your heart will be heavy. Know that you are not alone.
I pray that the world will somehow find a road to peace. I pray that our leaders will take the right steps to improve the world for all. I pray that every individual takes the steps needed to change the world.
I pray for you and for all.
As the embers of 2017 fade away, I wish you all –
Happy New Years.