While reading my Facebook memories this morning, I was shocked to find that every New Year's memory had a common "do-over" theme. Whether it was the realization of the inability to reverse time or the thirst to eliminate the "do-over" thought from the future, the theme remained. I only bring this reflection to the forefront to introduce a "new and improved" New Year's theme.
To jump into the present, it is important to understand the past. I freely admit I am fascinated with research and a complete nerd when it comes to history. As I was preparing for my little "stay at home" New Year's celebration, filled with munchies and movies, I began thinking about the origin and progression of New Year's celebrations. From confetti, and champagne to the rebirth symbolism of Baby New Year sporting a diaper, sash and top hat to the passing of time significance with Father Time portrayed as an old, bearded gentleman, walking with a cane and carrying an hourglass. Yes, these are symbolic traditions, but there is so much more.
While curiosity may have killed the cat, it is the fuel that drives my "need to know" appetite. New Year's Day, as we know it, can is be traced to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, endings, and transitions. Janus is depicted has having two faces--one that looks to the past and the other toward the future. Dubbed the "door" to the year, Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year's Day in 46 B.C. E. (Before Common Era), and Caesar named the month, appropriately enough, January.
Of everything I read, the phrase, "Door to the year", stuck in my brain. What if, instead of focusing on resolutions of change (quitting this or stopping that), we desired to anticipate the possibilities of new beginnings that simply come from opening the "Door" to the new year. Memories hold value, and while it is important to appreciate the significance of our past, we must do so without dwelling on the negative or things we didn't accomplish. 2024 provides a unique opportunity, one that we will never experience again. It is time to "Open the Door" and embrace the possibilities. Learn to dream those dreams again, embrace each day on its' own merit, and take things one day at a time. Refuse to wish away one single minute of this precious life. Strive to move forward and jump feet first into the unknown. Put away procrastination and celebrate the arrival of 2024 and then "Open the Door" to your New Year!
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