New Years, New Resolutions, New perspective

For my family the New Years Eve family and friends parties have always been sort of a big thing. When I was a kid we would countdown and hammer on pots and pans outside to welcome the new year and send off the old with a big literal BANG! Then as we got older we would get together with family and friends to watch movies, eat cheese balls and sausage or ham, and play games until the big moment. It's not that the 10 seconds before the stroke of midnight are life changing or that the ball dropping means that everything is now different; it just means that there is a whole year of working hard, learning, happy times, sad times, fun and excitement to look back on. For me this has always been something I look forward too, not only being happy to look how far we've come in the past year, but to imagine the unknown of the year ahead of us. And what better time or way is there to start a new phase of life than to welcome it now with open arms, yelps of craziness and loads of confetti with sparkling cider???? Jeez!! Why shouldn't we be wacko and insane for the introduction of this new year, at least starting it off in a good way.

Some people think the idea is weird, or stupid. And maybe, maybe they are right. It is a stupid holiday if you don't take the time to really think about what it means. But isn't that also true with Channukah, Christmas, Easter, and Valentines Day? Isn't that even more true of Memorial Day? If you don't sit down to think about all of the lives that were lost to protect the freedoms that we have (even if you didn't agree with the wars or what not), If you don't thank those people for being willing to follow orders and give their all to what they, the individual soldiers, thought was a good cause, then we have missed the point. Every holiday has meaning, every holiday has a purpose. Every holiday, at least for me, causes me to remember.

This year as I welcomed the new year,:) I had 42 dollars in my pocket, a family to go home to, a darling love to call me and blow kisses to, the best roommates at school, a chance to go to college, a ticket back to utah, a cup of sparkling cider, clothes to wear, food to eat, and hugs around! With a past year of economic hardship and military struggles and triumphs, political rollercoasters, and birth and loss of life, I found many things to be grateful for and remember. I like this poem called "I wish you Enough".

At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough."
She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed good-bye and she left.

He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his
privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "

Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me.
Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man was experiencing.
"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and
the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral, " he said.

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.'
May I ask what that means?" He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."

He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were
wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye.."

As you think about the stupidity or fun of this new year I hope that you can see and love how far you have come, how many blessings you have, and what a great life you really do have. And I wish you enough, to have more good days than bad in this coming year. :D And if you want to watch the rose parade which I am doing right now, then well go ahead and celebrate the way you do! Look at that DOLE fruit company float, they recieved the award for most beautiful float. Hawaiian themed music and float with hula dancers and of course many leis.

Learning as always,
Patience