Seriously, Happy New Year!

January 9, 2010

“Happy New Year” used to be a sarcastic phrase for me.  This is the first year in memory in which I have not had to resolve myself to enjoy January and February. 

I believe that happiness is a choice.  Yes, there are times in my life when I have been unhappy.  Sometimes choosing to be happy is easier than other times.  The choice is a lot easier for me in August.

It starts with the natural letdown of the holidays ending.  There is so much to look forward to in November and December, and so much to do!  A person doesn’t have time to consider happiness.  It just is.

Then, the holidays come and I gorge myself on goodies and love.  I gobble up all the cookies and candies and hugs from all my family and friends near and far.  I soak in the soft shine of holiday lights as I drive home in the dark after work.  I am energized by the spirit of the season.

And just as quickly as it arrives, it’s over.  The goodies are eaten, the tree is taken down.  The stockings are boxed up, the nativity is gently wrapped in tissue. 

Visiting family and friends return home and we all head back to work and school to resume life as usual.  The only reminder is the trickling of a few late-coming holiday cards and letters.

I can relate to my three-year-old son, who became so accustomed to a Christmas cookie when he got home from school that he cried when he arrived home from his first day after the holidays to discover all the cookies were gone.  In years past, I’d have been tempted to cry, too.

This Christmas was far and above the best of the best.  I was wrapped up in so many blessings I got a new smile wrinkle.  You’d think, with a Christmas that good, the letdown would have been that much bigger. 

There was a time when I’d have dwelled on that wrinkle.  If I’d had a t-shirt printed to describe my mood, it would’ve said, “The holidays came and all I got was this lousy wrinkle.” 

This year, I look at my new wrinkle differently.  This year, my t-shirt would quote Goldie Hawn: “I’ll have a lot of wrinkles on my face, but I feel like my heart will be fat and full.”

This year, when I put the decorations back in storage, I wasn’t putting away the magic.  I knew I didn’t have to wait a whole year to feel that joy again. 

Maybe it’s because this year, the blessings that I enjoyed so much had less to do with decorations and family coming in from far away and gifts and holiday food. 

This year, the blessings come from within.  This year, the wrapped presents and twinkling lights were just a bonus – icing on top of a glorious, tasty cake I get to enjoy all year round. This year, for the first time in my life, I believed in my own magic.  Seriously, Happy New Year!

This article first appeared in the Lewistown News-Argus and the Sidney (Mont.) Herald on January 9, 2010.