Traditions, We Keep. Resolutions? We'll See

Happy New Year! I hope its off to a great start for you all. I'll miss the holidays and all the traditions and gatherings of family and friends. New Year's Eve has some of my favorite traditions. I love the reliving of the good times and the letting go of regrets as we look forward to a new start.

Should have, Would have, Could have, according to my mom, are the most useless verbs in the human language. We all know hindsight is 20/20 and they are easy to say. And are easy to hold onto and keep us from moving forward.

I always try to keep that in mind when making New Year's Resolutions and what I'll do different in the coming year. One thing I learned from my mom's advice is not to hold on to the regrets of the past year when entering the next. Take the lessons you learned and let go.

We've made it a part of our NYE traditions. Each year our family writes down their resolutions and seals them in envelopes. Before dinner, we open last year's envelopes and congratulate each other on ones we kept and have a good laugh over the one's we didn't. During dinner, amongst conversation and chinese food we write down resolutions for the coming year.

After Dinner, while we digest we each take a moment to write down some moment, some act... Something during the previous year we find ourselves saying I should have, if I could have or if I would have about.

We don't share these. We just fold the paper and place it in a chimenea on the deck. We file the lesson away inside us. Then we get on with the festivities.

Just a few moments before midnight we bundle up and head onto the deck with our champagne/sparkling cider. We light the Chimenea fire. Symbolically, our "should haves", "would haves", and "could haves" leave on the winds of the previous year. They are blown away as the new year rings in with the sound of cheers and laughter. Turned to ash as corks pop, streamers fly, and pots and pans are banged. And lifted off us as we hug and kiss those we are glad are in our lives. Symbolically it's easier to let regrets go than in reality. But I do feel lighter and happier as the marshmellows are toasted and the S'mores are made.

Happy New Year, may you find your resolutions worth keeping.
Me? I am going to be a person of action, working hard to overcome my procrastination so I have very few "coulda" "woulda" "shoulda" thoughts when this year comes to an end.