Merry New Year

We tend to accept the cyclical nature of time during this part of the calendar year. At other times we view the events of our lives as unexpected changes and surprises or as the result of decisions we and others make. We do not conjure up parallels to explain or predict the course of events.

At other times of year we watch the seasons change, but we watch ourselves grow older and our children growing up. When you make waffles or pancakes you always change batter into waffle or batter into pancake. And, when you make that change there is no going back. The batter is permanently changed into a solid waffle. There is nothing cyclical about waffles and pancakes.

And, as much as we like the idea of cyclical time and cyclical life it is clear to the eye and ear that things change and people change permanently. The New Year is not a recycling of older years coming around again. The New Year is actually new. We search for familiar and strange blessings.