While the rest of the world sleeps off a hangover, I sit well rested and ready to face another year. In short, being in bed by 10 pm last night will serve me well today :)
New Year's Eve has never been a favorite of mine. I realize that it is just "one day" to dig deep and stay up late, but I really don't feel the need. The week of Christmas is always exhausting for us (as it is for most people). Couple that with the fact that I am cursed by the genetics of my dad and my internal clock will wake up somewhere between 4-6 am every single day, regardless of whether or not I just went to bed at 3. I'm not kidding... it can be very troublesome. When it happens, I am downright awful to my family the next day.
This year, we considered two gracious invitations by friends to spend New Year's Eve with them. All was contingent on what my out of town sisters were up to, however. After realizing they were going back home on New Year's Eve, we found ourselves free to spend the evening with friends. However, true to form, I woke up yesterday morning at 4:07, even though my alarm was set for a MUCH later 4:45 (so that I could hit a 5:30 TRX class). TRX was followed by a 4 mile run, which was followed by yoga two hours later. A mid morning meeting followed yoga, and then it was home to get the crew ready to meet my in town sister and brothers' families downtown for a day of ice skating. By noon, I knew that I was not going anywhere last evening. All I wanted to do was put on my pajamas, settle in with the family in front of a nice fire, watch a movie and drift off into 2014. And that is just what I did (Yes, neighbors, you woke me up at midnight. But I wasn't mad... just like you won't be mad when I celebrate at 4 am sometime soon!...kidding... didn't mind a bit, nor did it prevent me from falling back to sleep immediately).
This morning I awoke to Facebook posts and pictures of countless New Year's celebrations and status update resolutions. The pictures were so fun to see and the resolutions made me smile. I saw a few that were thrilled to see 2013 leave as they clung to new hope for a better year in 2014. I saw some that felt 2013 was a glorious year filled with countless blessings and they hated to see such a wonderful year come to an end. The spectrum is so wide!
I come into this new year with a much different approach than ever before. Maybe because in the course of the last 12 months, my perspective has shifted dramatically. Obviously there were things that happened in 2013 that were life changing, not the least of which was finishing my first 100 mile race. But the race itself wasn't what changed me. The training and preparation for the race did and those were things that were in the works years before 2013, even though I did not know it. The race was glaring evidence of what had been taking place over a long period of time... that by learning to trust God's plan for my life, failure was impossible. God's plans never fail. I, however, have countless times failed to follow them.
Another reason I don't get jazzed up about the calendar changing to a new year is because I have come to realize that every day that I wake up is a clean slate. Ever single day, every minute of my life I have the chance to do better, be better and start over if I wish. I don't have to wait for the date to change or the year, I just have to decide and try. And I have that chance with every breath I take. By God's grace alone, I can be different today than yesterday, whether it is a new year or not. This is wonderfully reassuring and comforting to me and I hope it offers comfort to anyone who feels as though he must wait for a magic date for changes to start. Change of heart and change in my life can happen the second I will it to, no need to wait.
And so I started this morning like I do most mornings that our 5 month old puppy allows me to... in quietness and prayer. I sat in my chair with my hot coffee, a warm blanket and the full attention of Jesus. He has mine too, which thrills Him. I resolved the same thing today as I did yesterday, in the "old" year... to be better than I was yesterday, in all areas of my life. I asked for guidance, grace and wisdom in some decisions I'm making. I prayed for each of my children and for John and for all the members of my family. I prayed for my friends that are in pain right now, the souls that I know that have gone before me and as always, for sweet Nora and her parents.
I also asked my saintly BFF, St. Sebastian, to intercede with prayer for me that I may stay healthy enough to continue running. God only knows what I'd be like without it and it isn't pretty.
Happiest of New Years to all! I wish you many blessings to come in 2014 and beyond.
PS... taking up running is a FABULOUS New Year's resolution. Just sayin'.
