Just An Ordinary Night!

I have never really been a big fan of New Year’s eve. Just an ordinary night – like Barry Manilow sings it – nothing special or magical about it - not like Christmas eve. Just a night for people who party to have an excuse to do just that – and those of us who don’t, well, it is just a night we can sit home and feel badly for ourselves.

There are a few New Year’s eves that stand out in my memory though, I hope you will allow me to wax nostaglic for a moment.

For many years while my father was pastor of a local church, we held a Watch night service, with communion at midnight. For several of those years I dated a boy that went to that church. New Year’s Eve and that service were always a big thing for us – we always celebrated it together. I took it for granted until several years after we had broken up, met other people and moved on with our lives. My daddy was not even the pastor anymore, but one New Year’s Eve, I found myself at that church, at that service. I will never forget the feeling of home I felt when that guy, came walking into the church, sat down beside by me, held my hand and celebrated New Year’s Eve as we had many times and many years before. He was in the middle of a “wild” time in his life, church and things of any spiritual consequence were far from his everyday life and yet, he told me afterwards, that he wanted to be no where else that night, but at that service, remembering what it had meant to us. It was sweet. Just like him. He was and is a sweet friend. I am thankful for that memory, I can’t think of New Year’s Eve without it popping into my mind.
I remember New Year’s Eve, 1999. Y2K – anyone remember that??? Remember stocking up on canned goods, water, toilet paper, all the necessities of life – just in case! Pulling money out of the bank, stockpiling for at least three months in case all the computers of the world went crazy and we were all stuck without money?

It was the first New Year’s in our newly built home, I was home alone, with my dear dog for company as my husband worked the night shift. I remember sitting up, waiting to see if something, anything happened at 12:01 AM!! I watched tons of tv, saw fireworks displayed over all the major cities and watched the ball drop in Times Square. And then, NOTHING! Nothing happened. Time rolled on, computers snapped into gear, no food shortage, no money crunch, just a pantry full of canned goods to carry us through the new year and a the anti-climax of a year of waiting on the “end” of things as we knew them to come!

I remember the first New Year’s Eve as a mom, 2004, sitting under my tree thinking of all the blessings of that year. Reliving each moment over and over in my head.

And tonight, my husband is working again. No big parties, no pops of champagne corks, no kisses at midnight. Just me and my daughter, making cakes and cookies in her new Easy Bake oven, playing on the computer, decorating cupcakes with her new Cupcake Gourmet maker and finally tucking her in, reading two bedtime stories and listening to her snore, even as the neighbors are shooting off fireworks.

All my New Year Eves have been fun – probably not the fun a lot of people would enjoy on this festive of festive nights, no loud music, no wild drinking binges, no lampshades on this head – ever. Just nights filled with memories, reflecting on life and the new opportunities ahead and time spent with loved ones. I am pretty certain I would not have it any other way.

Hope you and yours have a very Happy New Year!

Living Happily In the Moment!
Beverly