Happy New Year

Last few days I have been bed-ridden with fever. This has given a lot of time to contemplate and think of various paradigms we all believe in. Biggest of them all is the New Year.

As a kid, I remember asking my grand-father, what would change in the New Year. A man of words and wisdom he tried to explain that in the physical theory of earth’s revolution around the sun. At that moment it somehow quenched my inquisitiveness, but every 31st December, I used to ask this question to myself.

As I grew up, meaning of New Year kept on changing. Whilst in primary and middle school, it meant moving up to a new class. As I grew up, and reached my board exam classes of 10th, and 12th standards, it meant pre-board exams and the ever so life-changing board exams. During engineering and post graduation years it meant University exams and then finally farewell to enter into the big bad world of corporate life and more responsibility. From then on New Years meant an additional holiday. And if by chance, it ended up on a Sunday, then all one could do was to smile wryly and say “Damn!”

So this year as I spend my last few days and hours of the year 2008, in bed, I came back to the question….what would change with New Year 2009…and is it such a big thing?

New Years are meant to be celebrated with wining and dining, with ambitious resolutions thrown in. Some of my colleagues have already started circulating their resolutions over office mail! Now what use would that be of? :-) But what is it so much about New Year that we start sounding resolutions and spend heftily for celebrations.

I asked my doctor yesterday, and she equally perturbed by the question, thought that New Year meant that one grew another year older. I feel that shows the classical glass half full-half empty state of mind. Then came in my sister and brother-in-law, who thought New Year meant more holidays, more fun, and another trip to the mountains. For others in the family, it was just another day. Not finding much answers, I asked myself again....what does the New Year mean to me.

As for me, I am superstitious about New Years day. I purchase a Yearly horoscope book every year on this day. I then spend most part of the 2nd of January reading through it. I don’t go to a chemist or a doctor, as that would mean a bad omen for the entire year. And finally I definitely work on 1st of January as it signifies a good start, which in another sense also means job half done :-)

But the question still looms large. On 1st January will it be a different morning? Will the sun rise from the west or will it be another day of night? For starters as for me there are no resolutions, as one can resolve at any time. But what would 1st January mean that it would fill us with so much joy and happiness, and then wane it down, that next year this time I will again ask this question?

As we know it, it won’t be a different day. It would be just another day. But as I am a die-hard romantic, it will be a fresh start to tackling old demons who troubled us in 2008. It’s a hope that all we set forth to in 2009, will succeed and the sweet taste of success would not cause any diabetes. On a personal front, here is hoping that we will finally move away from ill health to a more fitter self. It would bring in more love and happiness for one and all (said it in a beauty pageant contestants way :-)…..

Ever Thine….
Ever Mine…..
Ever Ours….
Lots of Love…..Happy New Year!!