Abandoned traditions

For 10 years, from ages 15 to 25, I wrote a sort of letter-diary every New Year's Eve. The next year, I would read the previous years' letters to remind myself of the important events from my young life, and then write a new one. I would also mention things I hoped I might achieve by the next year — not resolutions, but vaguer sorts of things. I've never been much for resolutions at the start of a new year. If I want to resolve something, I might as well do it when I think of it, instead of waiting around for January 1.

Somehow I just remembered these letters, and as tomorrow is New Year's Eve, I wondered if I might write another letter. But apparently I didn't write one last year, and so what point is there? My tradition is abandoned, and I have moved on to other things.

It makes me wonder what other traditions I may have forgotten, or never realized I had, or could have begun. The only New Year's Eve tradition I seem to keep is not staying up until midnight. Why bother staying up that late just to know that it's a new year? I remember as a child, when I lived in the woods of northeastern Washington, we would go out at midnight on New Year's Eve, with all the house lights and porch lights off, and just stare at the sky. There was no light pollution there, and on a cold December/January night, the sky was usually clear and sharp. Maybe we hollered, too, but mostly I just remember that sky.

Comments

[bonnie]

Dad shot off his rifle, which he used only on New Year's Eve. It was the only sound we could hear. Were we the only ones on the planet awake at midnight? Happy New Year.

[Leah]

Sometimes, traditions are good. But sometimes it's good to let them go and try something new on.

I do like the looking-at-the-night sky new year's. I'd love to do something quiet and contemplative like that some year. maybe up in the snowy north woods . . .