happy, content, un-rushed, not perfect but joyful New Year to you

Christmas and New Years seemed to have slipped by quickly this year. The holidays seemed too short as I drove home from work this evening. The traffic crawling along March road felt dull and familiar only two days fresh into the workweek. It’s odd to think we were lounging around in holiday mode only three days ago. Now here I am with heavy eyes all before 10pm after a day of putting out small fires in the bank world.

Time is funny that way. A relaxing Sunday afternoon can feel like weeks ago when you’ve barely made it to lunchtime on your first day back after the weekend. Traffic has a way of sucking the holiday right out of you too. This year’s Christmas break was definitely too short and over too quickly for my liking. I could have used an extra couple of days to soak in the last of 2010.

I often feel the desire to write at years end. I think it’s a natural thing to want to toss a year into the good or bad pile. Was it a year full of challenges or pleasant surprises? Was it one of struggle, or joy? I don’t know anyone who can resist the urge to judge a year and classify it in order to move onto the next one. I know I do it. You read a book and tell others if it was good or bad. We watch movies and critique as though we are all experts…a year gone by is begging for a score.

I wonder if doing so offers any value or benefit to us? Does it make us cranky and self-absorbed if it was a year full of struggle? Do we tend to focus on the bad and forget the good? Woe is me? When it’s been a good one, do we carry that optimism with us and welcome a challenge? Can the good overcome the bad and fuel us with smiles and goodwill for the year ahead??

I suppose it depends a little bit on your disposition. It depends on what lies ahead and what has just unfolded. It depends on how you see yourself in this big wide world of ours. Ultimately it depends on…you.

For the record…2010 was a keeper.

Happy New Year!