And A Happy New Year!

New Year’s celebrations often get lumped together with Christmas here in my part of the world since they are just a week apart and schools are on break for both. As the song goes, “We wish you a Merry Christmas….and a Happy New Year”. As a kid I remember thinking it felt like some sort of afterthought to Christmas greetings. Oh yeah, let me go ahead and wish you a Happy New Year too in case I don’t see you. As an adult I get it though. When it’s already shocking enough to find oneself at the end of another year after 11 months have already flown by, what’s another week after Christmas? Nothing really.

I was reading an article this week that mentioned the famous Ferris Bueller quote, “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it”.  This article mentioned that this quote became a popular college essay topic after the movie came out.  Pretty funny considering it’s a movie about kids skipping school.  But obviously the line resonates for many people.  It’s one of those philosophical quotes that is both obvious and profound.  Obvious because we can all easily see and feel how quickly life moves, yet profound because most of us are probably guilty of not stopping and looking around enough.

For me, it feels like just yesterday that 2024 was beginning and I was getting ready to throw my daughter’s first birthday party.  I’m not sure there is much that will make you really feel the rapid passage of time like watching a child literally growing before your eyes in a year from an infant who can’t walk to a toddler who is running and climbing and chatting up a storm.  Though the visit from the 13 year cicadas earlier this year was a close second.

Life does indeed move pretty fast.  And with 24-hour news cycles, social media, and endless distractions of modern life vying for our attention, time can slip by with terrifying speed on things that don’t really matter.

This Christmas season, let’s try to stop and look around every once in a while in the midst of all our holiday plans and to cherish the moments with family and friends.

Happy 12 Days of Blogmas Day 10!