The new year usually brings about all sort of resolve about how we hope to improve ourselves in the coming year. Losing weight, saving money, etc. get all the top billing. These resolutions are usually defunct by about January 15th and we have slumped back into the life we know and secretly love.
My take on the first day is that there is usually nothing that I really want to do. You see my life is filled with schedules and tasks, people to see and persuade, things to do. Spiritual formulists will tell that the greatest impediment to spiritual growth is the sense of "hurry" that we all are addicted to. We feel guilty if we aren't busy doing something. So the first of January is my "nothing" day. We did fit in a movie with some friends, but it was last minute and certainly not planned. When my bride started talking about taking down Christmas, I suggested I would not be involved, this was too much effort for my nothing day. Also skipped the workout for the day.
It occurs to me that we are victims of the velocity of our lives. We have a very hard time just sitting and ruminating on our lives and being appreciative of those around us. I assure you, when Monday hits, it will suck my back into the vortex of work and travel and home life and the balance that those obligations in my life entail.
But for one day, the first day of the year, there was nothing on my plate. It was the best day of the year...by far.
Godspeed, the rest time is over. We now take the path through 2010. I wonder what it will bring.
Don
1 comment:
The first of January was one of my favorite days growing up. It was my dad's birthday. We did very little, but we got to hang out with Dad!! We watched football, we ate plates of the many cookies we made for Christmas, we spoiled Dad with presents, and we ate whatever meal he requested. It was great. As I got older, I loved it even more! It has always been a day of very little for us also. We enjoyed spending one more casual day with Dad before he started in on the long night and weekends of work. My Dad was a CPA, so this marked the beginning of the busy season. I think I only ever spent one New Year's Day away from my Dad. And I honestly can't remember why. Last year was the first one without him. We still did very little. We watched football, and we ate a meal he would have requested. This year was very similar. I think we will always pause and reflect on the fun years we had with Dad. I think we will probably always do very little and relax. Just the way he would have wanted. It's a great way to start a new year. God bless you and your family in the coming year!
Emily Bowmer
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