As we wrap up one year and embark upon the next, it’s cathartic to reflect on the past before looking ahead to the future. And what a year it has been! We have celebrated weddings and births, and marked milestones. We have seen our adult children land new jobs and watched friends clock out for the last time, waltzing into retirement. But we have also experienced loss and hardship. We remember loved ones gone too soon and shudder at the rapacious, seemingly rampant, insatiable hunger of cancer. So we sit and reflect.
We look back with nostalgia and remember parties and laughter and good times. And we also consider the mistakes we’ve made along the way. Friends and family with whom we exchanged a harsh word, or left unsaid a word that we should have offered. For me, life often seems like the opening lines of “A Tale of Two Cities,” “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I consider all the joys of life and how richly I have been blessed, but also feel the hole in my heart of loss. For all these things, we take a quiet moment and consider it all.
One dangerous way to look at the past is to ask, “What if?” Would the sliding doors of the universe have produced a different outcome if only I had said this thing or done that thing? The what-ifs — though tempting — can be torturous and rip us apart. While we can’t undo the past, we can regroup, learn from our mistakes, look ahead to the future, and find ways to make things better. Personally, instead of fate, I believe in the One who has written the script long ago, and though there is much I don’t understand, I have trust in what is to come. As I consider the new year, I am reminded of the words of a hymn written in 1923, the year my in-laws were born, and my dad turned two. Thomas O. Chisholm penned the words, “Morning by morning, new mercies I see,” and in the last verse, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow…” I would recommend reading the encouraging lyrics in total. If you are not familiar with the song, it is titled “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and you may find hope by meditating on the words of this old song.
A phone call can change a life. Fortunately, some of the phone calls that I received in the last few months could have had a much sadder ending. With each broken bone from ice skating, emergency room visit, car wreck, and totaled car (we’ve had a couple this year), I’m reminded how things could have been much worse and reflect on my blessings. My wish for you, my friends, is that you will not just see your cup as half-full, but overflowing – even if it contains some coffee grounds along the way. And now, here we go again; we have a whole new year to look forward to, a clean new slate, full of opportunity and wonder. Our days will be full of beauty, goodness, disappointment and grief all mixed into one big meaningful ball called life, and I wish you all to live it full tilt, embracing all of its craziness and wonderfulness. Yes, the future will include storms to weather along with victories to celebrate, but I hope you will join me knowing there is One who will give you “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!” We would love to hear from you. Send your comments to shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
