Well, the new year is already a week old and I’m still catching up to the realization that it is no longer 2024. I barely noticed Christmas, and before I knew it, I was at the cabin for my traditional New Year’s Eve ritual, thinking, “Isn’t that next week (or even next month)?” But indeed, with or without my readiness, 2025 has begun. Definitely off to a slow start, but somehow that seems right to me. I’m kind of easing into this year.
My New Year’s Eve ritual involves writing a letter to the year ending, thanking it for its blessings, reminiscing about highlights, reflecting on lessons, releasing what I don’t want to carry with me into the new year. Next I write a letter to the incoming year, welcoming it with curiosity, willingness, openness, and friendliness. I sit with both letters, read them out loud, and then I burn them in the fireplace.
Years ago an additional part of my New Year’s Eve ritual involved receiving a word of the year for the incoming year. Funny that the last time I received a word was for 2013 and the word was “wait.” As 2014 rolled around nothing was forthcoming, and the years flowed by without any more words. Eventually I quit thinking about it.
But then this New Year’s Eve, the word “arise” arose (pun intended) in my awareness. I wasn’t expecting this and wasn’t sure what to think of it, especially since I was thinking of the new year as entering sort of a welcome fallow period after writing three books in three years. (New book should be out next month I hope.) “Arise” sounds more active than “fallow” suggests, but it seemed to want my attention, so I guess I have a word of the year this year and we’ll see how that plays out.
Do you have any New Year traditions, rituals, words, intentions? In any case, I hope your year is off to a good start. As artificial as our calendar is – for example, why doesn’t the new year start on winter solstice or in the spring? – I still like the idea of a clean slate and a fresh start. So let’s leave the past behind and welcome the opportunity to embrace beginner’s mind.
Arise, shine, for your light has come. ~Isaiah 60:1
The word that came to me this new year, is Gentleness.
I suspect there will be be opportunities to practice that!
Thank you!!
Now that you have opened the topic, I pick Patience for my word this year, and for two primary reasons.
One, we have two new puppies who try my patience almost continuously.
And, the political situation, both here and around the world, is likely to try the patience of a saint.
While sainthood is not in my future, staying calm and realizing that this too shall pass demands patience.
Wow, Bob, two puppies! Yeah, patience is definitely your word this year. And I’m pretty sure that that sets you on the path to sainthood.
Hey Laurie! Gentleness is a good word. I also like a related word — tenderness.