It's the time of the year where one becomes more introspective and starts thinking about what he or she has done or not done the past year. It is the only acceptable time of the year where one is able to stare into the distance and daydream... and say that they are in fact "reflecting" when they are tapped on the shoulder by the boss.
It's time to close a chapter.
A time for resolutions (if you are in the habit of making them).
A time for a new chapter.
Timely enough, I just finished reading "Still Me" by Christopher Reeve, a touching memoir in which he shares bits of his personal and professional history, how he overcame obstacles and lived a full life despite his spinal cord injury. It's not the best book in the world but it's worth reading if only because at the end of it, I did feel like I went on a personal journey with him, experiencing his happiness at seeminingly small successes and imagining his feelings of sorrow and despair during his hardest moments. Through his simple writing, there was always the implied sense of hope (after he got over his initial sense of hopelessness) and he makes repeated mention of, and giving special attention to, the importance of his supportive family and friends.
And that's what the New Year means to me.
It's a period of renewed hope and a time for family and friends, even if they are only in your thoughts...
