New beginnings... I love the whole idea of the New Year. I've always enjoyed looking back at the year that has gone by - top songs, best movies, most impactful news stories... There's a wistful and emotional me, who looks back with fondness as well as sadness at the passing of time. Then there's the optimistic and hopeful me, who looks forward with anticipation and excitement towards all the experiences that lie before me.
I gave up on the idea of New Year's Resolutions years ago - I never stuck to them anyways. Instead, I spend some time setting some intentions for the year ahead. It's generally the same story: to work to become a better human and to live a happier and more purposeful life. For right now, I'll turn to some song lyrics to express some of my thoughts about the upcoming new year.
We hear so much, these days, about how divided we are, as a world, a nation, a community. Sadly, it feels true, but it doesn't have to be. We are all here for the same reasons - to love, to be loved, and to survive - even thrive - as we make our way through this crazy life. It's really inconsequential what our differences are, because our commonalities are far greater! You do you, and I'll support you in that while I do me. Work hard, play hard, love hard, and can't we all get along?
Our family certainly has loved and lost this year. Grief is a beast, but at the same time, it's a testament to having had great love. It's most important to me that I love my people with all my heart and soul, and that they know that they are loved beyond a shadow of a doubt. Over the next few days we will hear people say they they hope 2020 is a better year. I simply hope that no matter what the upcoming year tosses at us, we are able to love, learn, and to grow through it.
I've been singing this song with my kids in mind for 13 years, and that's a long time! My hopes for them never change no matter how old they get. I hope they strive for all they want out of life, that they grow through mistakes, that they forgive, never regret, and understand that everything that happens to them helps to create the person they eventually become... And that they always know their way home.
Above all else, I want to always be mindful of my place in the universe. Nature is so huge and so powerful, and I am insignificant in comparison. I want to always feel the awe as I look out over the ocean, or breathe the air at the top of a mountain that I have just climbed, or listen to the stillness of the forest, or gaze at the vastness of the night sky. No goal that I have, nothing that goes wrong in my life, no small deed that I do can ever be as great as the forces of nature. If I live every day attempting to better my tiny corner of this planet, then I am fulfilling my purpose.
My wish for you as this new year begins, is that your life becomes all that you want it to. Live and love your moments, and always remember to take care of you. "Ring out the false, ring in the true."
Comments
Post a Comment