As a child, I always thought one of the saddest days of the year was the day we took the decorations off the Christmas tree so my Dad could haul it outside to be thrown out. Living in Queens back then, there weren't as many more sustainable ways to dispose of trees as there are now. Most cities and towns now have recycling programs for Christmas trees, mulching them up for ground-cover in playgrounds and dozens of other uses. Back then, it was almost too sad to look out of the window until the trash men came and took it away from the curb. All the joy that it brought, and the knowledge, in my childish mind, that is, that the tree grew just for us so we could feel that joy, just to be tossed away like yesterdays trash, was almost too much for my little heart to bear. It was like having to say a very sad good-bye to a dear friend.
Coming to the end of a year often feels the same way, although this past year has been so filled with one challenge and crisis after another that many of us are only too happy to see it go. Still, it is sad to think that another year has flown by, and what do we have to show for it? Maybe, instead of focusing on the sadness and loss, as I did with the tree, we can think back to all the good things that came out of this year. Perhaps you discovered what was really important to you, what truly defined an authentic, contented life. Maybe you found a new job, a new interest or hobby, or made a new friend. If you were truly blessed, you and those you love came through this year healthy and whole. If we look hard enough, we can always find something good that came from the year just past. It all depends on how you look at it. Like that child of long ago, it can be a sadness for what has been lost, or joy and gratitude for what it gave us. As always, even in nature, perception is everything.
I wish you all the most joyous of New Years and the hope of wonderful, positive things to come and lessons to grow from.
And so it is.
