"A life without cause is a life without effect."
~Barbarella ~
There's a way to approach the New Year that has nothing to do with alcohol, fireworks, or crowds of people. It's quietly and intentionally- a cleansing and a releasing rather than a frenzy. The last four years or so, we have started a New Year's Eve bonfire tradition that fits the bill. We sit in the dark country night and watch sparks float skyward, listen to the burning logs snap and pop, and think about what we are done with- what has passed, and where we need to stop holding on.
At midnight, thanks to smart phones, we listen to a Celtic version of Auld Lang Syne and let the sound and the emotion of it sink deep within us, or rise up to our throats as the case may be. In this way, I have learned to love New Year's Eve. It is full of sweet and sad memory, self-reflection, promise, and endless hope.
I let go of what no longer serves me, and prepare to welcome the New Year.
