counting the days

When the smoke clears and your nose gets enough soot to last you the whole year, you take some quiet time with yourself before finally signing-off, and calling, the first of January of the grand spanking new year—a day. Everyone welcomes another year, some spirituous, nonetheless sober enough to remember all the many wonderful things to be thankful for the year they have just done with.

Despite all the detours and rough roads you went through, you gladly acknowledge that 2005 has been good not only to you but to all the people you care about. Staring at your list of “what-I-should-have-done-by-the-end-of-the-year”, a smile glimmers through your lips when you realize most of the things you wrote down exactly one year ago, actually happened. Talk about writing your own story. There was spending quality time with family and real friends; finding all the people who matter to you healthy and happy; securing the job you have so animatedly aspired for; getting through tough times a becoming a better person; simply being able to do the things you really love and experiencing life with the truly significant people in your life…and so on.

You remain to be overwhelmed by the reality that indeed, another year has passed. Then it hits you. How do you count the days? How do you measure and really quantify the blessing of every waking moment you are once again given with the start of a new year?

Some people count the days through accomplishments at work, how much deals they have closed in a year, the clients they have served. Others find delight in tenderly counting the days as precious moments with family; still, there are people who count the days by how much they have shared to others, whether material possessions or even just a modest part of themselves, a little bit of their time. Some families count the days, always as a chance for healing and strengthening relationships. Those who have extra-special people in their lives must be counting the days through their “firsts” with their significant-other, or perhaps frantically trying to keep the days they spend together seem an eternity. (Oh so mushy…) For new parents, it must be through every milestone of their darling little baby (who hopefully grows up still a darling)—his first smile, her first giggle, her first words (was it mama! Or dada! Or was it milk?). Your own parents must be gazing at you as your life gives substance and meaning quite unfathomable, to their own, taking pride in your every accomplishment, always believing in the things you can do; parents watching their children grow, guiding them and letting them become their own selves.

Children count their days through schooldays; you wonder, perhaps teachers do the same (looking forward to the next holiday break or the end of terms). Students count their days by the weekly exam they hurdle and the endless reports they have to submit. Other people are happy counting the days simply by the number of books they’ve read or perhaps how often they’re able to add to a personal collection of essays.

There are easily many ways of counting the days. 365 days may be quite a number, yet the days may not even be enough to accommodate all things you’d like to do, well, how many times did you wish that a day wouldn’t last in 24 hours?

As we all start another year, there is this simple wish that we can all make our lives. No matter how hopeless certain situations lead us to become, may we all remain resilient and ever-enduring. Perhaps it could help to visualize, put into writing the things you want r-e-a-l-i-z-e-d. It’s like making a personal agreement with the Universe that all things shall be right where they should be and that your hopes and dreams will become part of His greater plans for 2006.

Auld lang syne plays in your ears…so-do-do-re-mi-re-do-re-mi-do-do-mi-so-laaaaaaa!!!!

Barely sleepy with just a bottle of mudshake to drink, you force your self to hit the sack, only because you have to wake-up in 4 hours, make that 2 and a half, for you just noticed that 4 hours and 22 minutes of the new-year have already gone and you need to be up by 7am. What a way to welcome the year. Good morning, goodnight, have a great year everyone!

--original entry written on new year's 2006