New Year’s Eve

December 20, 2006 by jacquie.

We have an annual winter event at our house near Yosemite. Friends gather between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to relax and play in the snow. Unfortunately, it’s so popular that we have to turn people away because we really only can manage to host 14 people at a time. We also have a dilemma every year. What do we do on New Year’s Eve? It seems appropriate to mark the end of the year in some way regardless of whether it was fabulous or it presented some challenges. New Year’s Eve is a time to close out the old year and open up to the new one.  What a wonderful way to close the year, relaxing with friends, laughing, singing, playing, and rewarding ourselves for our many jobs well done.

In the past, we’ve had musical events, mystery dinners, games, movies, and my favorite, white elephant sales with the proceeds going to my favorite charity (www.gpfd.org) that supports projects in east Africa. As I was thinking about the possibilities for this year, I realized the dilemma is indicative of many end-of-the-year planning exercises that set us up for success and satisfaction in the new year.

What is meaningful? It’s important to have intentions for success and accomplishment. That’s why I like the donation events of the past because what better way to start the New Year than to give money to support people who don’t have the resources we have. What represents a meaningful new year?

What is healthy? We don’t want to regret eating too much, drinking too much, or sleeping too little on this one evening or anytime, for that matter. How are we mindful of our physical needs during celebrations and in our daily lives for the next year?

What do we need? This is a good one. Some of us need time outdoors. Others need time away from work. And some of us need time to connect more completely than our regular schedules allow. 

What’s the appropriate celebration for this year? Maybe a moonlit ski /snowshoe event where we take thermoses of hot beverages and a midnight picnic up the mountain road right outside our house. Or maybe it’s a Scrabble tournament where we use our brains and encounter friendly challenges. Some people have suggested going caroling (after Christmas?) to the various houses in our tiny town of Fish Camp. After all, this is a group of singers – why not start the year with one of the things we do best? We have a wealth of potential experiences.

What I do know is that we will have fun. Several of the fifteen years we’ve been doing this presented a week of rain rather than snow. It’s interesting how we adapted our expectations. Instead of building a circuitous sled run and cross country skiing, we played games, baked bread, talked in the hot tub, and read books we never thought we’d have time to read. Whatever the weather brings us, we go home refreshed.

I’ll leave you with the same questions for your own new year: What is meaningful? What is healthy? What do you need? Have a good celebration!

My dance card is rather full for the next few weeks, so I am taking a break from writing this weekly article. Look for the next Vibrant Thoughts at the end of January, 2007.

© 2006, Jacqueline Hale

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