Along the Camino de Santiago
Happy New Year.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been much of a New Years Eve kind of gal. The truth is, I rarely make it until midnight. Despite the fact that I now live in California, everyone knows it’s New Years when the ball drops in Times Square so I figure I’m free to go to bed anytime after 9:00 p.m. as far as that’s concerned. (Hey, you can take the girl out of New Jersey, but you can’t take New Jersey out of the girl.)
When I was a kid, it was New Years Day that was more memorable. For years we began the New Year with the annual swearing in of the new Somerset County Freeholders. It’s a story I tell in The Cardinal Club. Every few years, it was my father’s swearing in we attended. Decked out in our matching outfits or our scout uniforms, we’d gather around and hold the Bible while he took his oath of office in front of family and friends.
On December 31, 1999, my extended family gathered on the causeway between Sanibel Island and Fort Myers. As the water lapped the shores on either side of us, we watched the sky explode with New Years Eve fireworks. It was an extraordinary New Years, something that deserved more than just the traditional midnight toast after an evening of board games and post dinner snacks. We were about to cross into a whole new millennium. With Y2K on the horizon, we were facing a virtual Armageddon, wondering what would happen to our computer based society. Somehow, we all survived.
It’s hard to believe that that was 20 years ago. It doesn’t seem like that. The older I get, the more time seems to coalesce. the years blend into one another and the days seem to fly by. I gave up making New Years resolutions a few decades ago. I’m unlikely to get any more organized, save any more money or lose the 15 pounds it will take to fit into that two sizes too small sweater that still hangs in my closet. (You’ll have to read the book to understand that one).
Instead, this year I hope to stay focused on the things that matter. To spend time with the people I love. To stay present, because that’s never been easy for me. And to continue to make time to do the things I’ve always wanted to do because as I’ve finally learned, today is what we have. Tomorrow isn’t promised.
Here’s to a great 2020!
