While I can't really remember a New Year's Eve of the last ten or so years that has been much to crow about, the New Year's Eves of my childhood were magical. My little brother was born on NYE, so each year my parents threw a party. They would invite my extended family and their friends, and there was always plenty of food and cake. When the birthday part was over, the adults would play board games and watch movies while we kids did whatever it was kids did at the time. I don't know that I lasted until midnight that often, but when I did, it was equal parts embarrassing and fun to see our parents hug and kiss and celebrate the coming of a squeaky-clean year.
As we got older, the kids declared the need for our own celebration, and I remember one year in particular. I would have been in eighth grade, thirteen (always young for my grade). My friends and I got permission to go across the field and have our own after-dinner celebration at my cousins' house. We thought we were big stuff. Four teenage girls, five or six older teenage boys goofing off with no parents. It was the stuff of coming-of-age films. (Not the crappy ones now with too much, too soon. It was a celebration, not an after-school special.) I remember watching Field of Dreams with my first teenage crush, wishing desperately for my first kiss (which I didn't get). And laughing, oh how we laughed. When I think of New Year's Eves, that's the one I always think of. Not a party dress, confetti-littered, Hollywood-manufactured image, but one of laughing with friends in our early-90's clothes and big hair, hoping for a midnight kiss.
The years have come gone. The kids of that night now have kids of their own. We've lost parents, gotten married, gotten divorced, experienced highs and lows that we never could have imagined then. And if we could have, would we have wanted to? I think that's the real beauty of a new year. We don't know what's going to happen. Chances are, it will be a mixed bag. And that has to be okay. Each moment is golden if you hold it in the right light. The mystery is part of the beauty. And the kids will be alright.
I totally agree, who knows what the new year will bring, that's the beauty of it. Hope you have a great one filled with lots of love and fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the honesty of your post yesterday. I think there are many people who feel the same and some are way older than 31 : ) I spilled a lot of the low and, let's face it-depressing, on my blog today, but here's the thing-this was a hard sad year and there really is no way to put a shiny spin on that. I suppose I could, but when I read this all back some day I want to remember the real, and there was a lot of pain in 2012. I think God can use that and someday I'll look back, and my children will look back, and see how God took this crummy year and grew us. I bet someday you'll read yesterday's post and will feel grateful for the life you're living and will see how this season made you ready for the one you're living down down life's road.
ReplyDeleteHope your new year is full of something wonderful!
That's exactly why I had to get it all down, Joyce! I don't want to forget about how I felt or why I felt that way. I want to be able to look back and see the change. If you are going to blog honestly, which I try to do and I know you do as well, it just seems like that's the whole point.
DeleteWishing you and yours a 2013 full of blessings and wonder!