There's a reason all the family-and-friends-oriented holidays are at the end of the year. Say what you will about pagan festivals and whatnot, I believe there's something a little more basic than that at the root.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Tet, New Year's... it all happens within the same 6-week period. These are the biggest celebrations of the year (granted, Turkey Day is strictly American, but still...) and they all happen at the end of the year. The reason is just that: THE END OF THE YEAR. We use it as a reflection on ourselves, as a worldwide Reality Check. We look at things and say "Hey, we made it through another 12 months without killing ourselves or each other." Yes, we lose a lot during the year. People die, jobs are lost, money is spent, possessions are stolen, things and people are taken from us. It's unavoidable because it's part of life.
BUT.
Things are also GIVEN to us. Babies are born. Jobs are found. Money is earned and won. Possessions are bought or created. Objects are discovered or recovered. IT ALL BALANCES OUT. Maybe not right down the middle, 50/50, but it comes back eventually.
We think back on these things and reflect and bask in the memories of the good and the bad. We're human, so we want to do this with others. We want the comfort of those closest to us so we can share the mutual things we have both lost and gained. We want to mourn what we have lost and celebrate what we have gained, and we don't want to do it alone. We turn to our friends and family, those closest and most important to us. It's an interesting dichotomy how this time of year is simultaneously about the individual AND the group. We think about our family as a whole, but we also think about ourselves: the things we want for the upcoming year, the things we did and didn't do over the past year...
Sometimes, you NEED to think about yourself. Someone very close and dear to me once said "If you don't take care of yourself, you're not going to be any good for anyone else." The irony is this is the one person who never did anything for themselves and only ever worried about everyone else.
Something to think about: what's yours is YOURS. I'm not talking about possessions or money or anything shallow or stupid like that. I'm talking about YOU. Your life, your soul, your spirit. Your life is something that is completely yours unless you choose to give it to someone or something else, but the best part is YOU CAN TAKE IT BACK IF YOU SO CHOOSE. We were given this amazing thing called Free Will that allows you to choose as you see fit, to make your own mistakes and choices. Love whomever you want. Spend time with whomever you want. Live your life as you see fit. This is the gift we have been given, and as Americans, we are fortunate enough to be able to do just that. Just because you have friends some of your other friends don't like doesn't mean you need to cut off anybody. Yes, it sucks you can't have all your people in one place sometimes, but you find a way to make time for each little circle.
I'm sad a lot of my friends don't get along anymore. It hurts to know that where we were once one big family, we're now broken down into smaller clusters. I don't understand it, I don't really understand how or why it happened, but it has. One group may not like another, or this person may have issue with that person, but there's always a bridge between. In this case, ME. Friends are important. Family is important, and in many cases, the two are one and the same. Occasionally, you have to fight for your family. You have to do the same with friends.
A lot has happened over the past year. I think about it now, as the holidays come close and as this year draws to a close. There has been loss, there has been gain, there has been change. It's life. It's what's supposed to happen. I started this year with no job, full of uncertainty, full of confusion and conflict both in my heart and my mind. I look towards the next year with a bit more confidence, a bit more clarity, and a bit more optimism. I have to. It's the only way to move forward and to grow. Think on these things. Free will.
