There’s always room to talk about just one last holiday isn’t there? 

It seems just like yesterday we were talking about the Fourth of July in the middle of the blistering heat of summer.

Then so many other important days came. We celebrated Labor Day, honored our Vets, embraced the spooky season of Halloween, stuffed our bellies on Thanksgiving and just two days ago woke up bright and early for Christmas morning.

Whether times are good or bad, it did feel really nice to have that day off to just sit, relax, watch the kids open presents and enjoy Christmas movies for a day.

Obviously A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, and It’s a Wonderful Life were probably on many of our repertoires throughout the day.

For those of you that traditionally watch Die Hard or Batman Returns on Christmas Day, you should commend yourself for expressing your freedom and unique individuality.

There’s even talk of folks that traditionally watch Star Wars on Christmas. No judgment.

Anyways we’re getting off topic.

Also of course there are those that do not celebrate Christmas, or express their holiday spirit by celebrating Hannukah and Kwanzaa as well.

So many holidays throughout the year, we have covered every single one of them and now we are finally down to the very last one so to speak. 

That of course is New Year’s.

When we stop to ponder it, in all actuality it’s just switching on to a new calendar. We put the new one up on the wall, get rid of the old one and start struggling with dating things with a new year.

Writing checks can be a big frustration at the start of a new year can’t it?

So why do we celebrate it, and why does it mean something to us?

When we were younger, we probably looked forward to New Year’s because it meant we got to stay up until midnight with our friends, and watch the ball drop with eager anticipation. The second the clock struck midnight here come the horns, confetti, kisses and Auld Lang Syne.

It was and still is a fun and wonderful feeling; those of us that can still stay up until midnight that is.

It really is another fun party if we really want it to be right? The choice is up to us.

That being said, it would probably be wise since we are talking about the last one to take a minute or two to take just a deeper look. Then of course we can relax a bit, have a little fun and celebrate hopefully a new wonderful year.

God knows every single one of us deserve a fun little break at this point wouldn’t you agree?

So once again, why do we celebrate it and why does it mean so much?

Of course every single one of us is going to have our own unique answer, and there isn’t one that’s right or wrong.

If we want for just a moment to look at just one perspective, here it is.

It really is about the deep-rooted, and healthy adage of out with the old and in with the new.

Now when we say that, it doesn’t mean because we are getting old we aren’t any good anymore; not at all. 

Just because that antique clock or car that our grandparents gave us is old doesn’t mean it’s lost its value. If anything the older something gets the more valuable it becomes, and that includes human beings.

Remember that when the clock strikes 12.

New Year’s is a wonderful, amazing celebration of another year of having life on this earth.

You do not need to be reminded, but of course when we look back on 2023 there were some incredible highs, and some unbelievable lows.

We do say that a lot but it’s true, such as life.

When the clock strikes midnight Monday and you let loose, remember you have something extraordinary to be proud of. You made it through yet another year.

Feel like that’s not much to really think about or appreciate? Remember there’s someone right now that didn’t make it.

As we speak of that moment, keep in mind someone is not thinking about the next year in line. They are probably thinking about that loved one that didn’t make it. Remember that.

Once again, it’s the little thoughts that truly put the big things into perspective.

That being said, once again know that with the end of 2023, 2024 is going to be different.

Will it be better? We don’t know.

Will it be worse? We don’t know

Will things change? You bet.

It’s definitely time to say goodbye to what ‘23 brought us, and welcome anything ‘24 has to offer both the good and the bad.

Everything we have learned throughout this entire year is going to certainly play a role in the next once we get the ball rolling.

During that time just remember, you can’t control everything. As long as you are doing exactly what you need to be doing, you are doing things right.

Remember, when one door closes another one just opened. Challenge is growth. Chase you dreams, but learn new things. We are all different, but we all want the same thing. 

Perhaps most importantly, have patience. Anything worth having is not going to come easy, and it’s going to take time. 

If you have a roof over your head, you are succeeding. If there is food in your refrigerator, you are succeeding. If you have a job, you are definitely succeeding.

If one of those things happens to be missing do not beat yourself up. Keep moving forward and try to make wise decisions. 

Remember that as well. It only takes one bad decision to change your life and someone else’s forever. So try to make good decisions.

Think with your head, and your heart will tell you if it was right or wrong.

Embrace whatever comes next.

To all in Goshen County, give yourself a serious pat on the back. We faced numerous challenges this year, and remained immensely supportive and courteous despite our unchangeable differences. And we will always have them. 

So don’t lose sleep over things you can’t control.

At least we hope that’s the case. If it needs work, then hey we’ve got all of 2024 to work on it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!