Happy New Year?
The news media reports that mankind has started to celebrate the incoming 2010 with rejoicing and the traditional fireworks and wishing one another “Happy New Year”. Here it is another six hours away as I write this, and in New York it is still the morning of the 31st.
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Happy New Year: The Fear
It is interesting that the masses choose to celebrate in such a festive manner that point which, if you ask them privately, is the one thing that terrifies them more than anything in the world – the passage of time. Another year past, another year closer to the grave. I am speaking about those who are more than 18 years old. Children look forward to birthdays and are happy, proud, and fulfilled to be a year older. At some point towards the end of the teens this ceases, and then slowly the opposite sets in.
It doesn’t have to be that way. A person who feels fulfillment in life and can look on the past year with happiness for his lot, and can look forward with the same expectation of “whatever happens, everything is good”, will not be bothered by such thoughts. But I bet you that these people are less than 50% of the populace.
Happy New Year: The Moment
I wrote decades ago a post where I suggested that all of the drunks in Times Square are revelling because they feel the magnitude of the moment. Six Five Four Three Two One Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Happy New Year! In one moment everything changes. A moment ago it was 2009, now it is 2010. A different year, a different reality, a new chance, a new fate. All in one moment.
There are people around, and I know some of them, who were trained to realize that this is the truth about EVERY moment. Every moment is a reality that never was before and never will be again, every moment is an opportunity to be used, to be appreciated, to fill up with meaning.
For those with whom I have in common, I refer you to the commentators on “Avraham came with his days”, and the Or HaChaim HaKadosh on, oh, look, this week’s parsha, on “the days of Yaakov approached to die”.
Happy New Year: Full living
Yes, after the age of 18, time seems to speed up faster and faster. He who is wise will catch all of those moments to fill them up with goodness, with full living. Yes, Happy New Year. OK. Let’s live full.
Boruch Rappaport
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