Happy New Year!

2024 

I don't know if I ever thought that I would get this old, and if so, what would I think or want to think about my life at this point. I don't know if I ever set goals or dreams to achieve by this point in my life. What's the saying - if you don't know where you're going, you'll never know when you arrive? Maybe that's my situation - I'm somewhere ... but is this where I wanted to be? My answer - a vehement no ... but then, where? Where did I want to be? I don't know. And that's the problem. 

Hmm ... 

Many people set New Year Resolutions, things they want to change or become or do in the next year. For me, if I did that, I'd set myself up for failure, I'm sure. For the past few years, instead of NYResolutions, I've been giving my year a word. This will be "My Year of ...." and I'd fill in the blank. Over the last few years, I've given my years the words of Thresholds (2021), Metanoia (2022), and Ruach (2023).  I'm not sure if I wrote on those in the past (maybe I should go back and fill them in?), but this year, I've declared this The Year of Memento Mori.  Remember Your Death. 

That might sound morbid, or depressing, but it's not.  It's meant to contemplate that life has an endpoint, that this life will not go on forever. There is an end that we all will reach. Since I have gone to my share of funerals in the last couple of years, and since I reached the age last October that is the same one when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I thought this was a good word for 2024. Memento Mori. Remember My Death. I will not live forever.

More fitting - if death is coming (which is a guarantee), what do I think still needs to be completed before I reach that? What 'songs' do I still have in me that need to be sung? What have I not yet done that I still NEED to do? Not want to do, but NEED to do?? Maybe another way, what is my purpose, have I completed that or what do I need to fulfill that? If I was sent to Earth for a reason (and I'd like to believe that is the truth), what is that reason? Have I done that? Completed that? And is there anything for me yet to complete? (certainly not the cleaning that surrounds me!) What has this life of mine led to so far? And where do I yet need to go? After all, if I had completed my mission, I'd be dead, right? And I'm not ... so, that would mean ... ??? 

On my phone, I have a picture. Where most people put pictures of their family or a cute saying or holiday photo, I put a picture that reminds me of my Word of the Year. This year the one I have is the photo to the right >. When I did a search, every picture connected to this word had a skull on it. This photo has the skull, but it also has a candle - to me, there's hope in that candle. It's not finished burning yet. There is still wick (life) left. The skull is there - death is there - but so is there still life.

So, the essence of all of this is - get going. Don't stop now. This is not the time to slow down. Figure out what you want and get doing it. Now is the time to determine that goal and move toward it. Death is coming. You don't want to die with that song still in you. That is my 2024 message to myself. And every time I open my phone, I'm reminded of it. 

How about you? What's your resolution? or what's your word? And how will that play out in your year for you? 

And with that, I better get going. Time waits for no man! (or woman!) Start with ... where am I going? The time for down random paths in random directions is over. Time's a-ticking!