My friend Adi, sent me this picture this morning, to wish me a Happy New Year. Not your typical NYE picture right? I was maybe 23-24 in when I had sent Adi this printed picture (remember when we did that!), almost 30 years ago!
What struck me most was that Adi saved this print of me for almost 30 years. He and I have been “old” friends, grown up/close/apart/and close in these past 30 or so years. I became quite aware of this loving friendship we have shared and felt immensely grateful for it. It reminded me of how blessed I am to have “old” friends just like Adi who have remained close, despite the different ways and paths we chose in life.
I began to reflect on how we gather to close a year and start a new one. To celebrate this man-made day in our calendar, while the sun, moon, stars and earth remain the same, and us humans too stay mostly the same. Whether we celebrate or not, countdown or not, it can be a reminder to allow ourselves to open to growth, learning and transformation. To allow the transition of our physical and spiritual from one form to another to occur with grace and kindness.
It also urged me to examine my not so “old” friendships in human years and I found myself grateful for the powerful eternal connection these “newer” friendships embodied, connection over many lifetimes. As well, I thankfully allowed the saying of goodbye to friends who have grown away with gladness that we did meet and connect.
As we celebrate tonight, each in our own way, take a moment to allow time to stand still- to freeze so you may be aware of all these lovely souls around you, here with you, so many human definitions of relationships. So you may accept each one, forgive yourself and them for their human-ness, and bring love.
For those friends from whom we are moving away from- setting a boundary- so to speak, may we do so with so much love that when they fall against this boundary they are feel the softness and love we shared, rather than the hardness of separation.
For we are always one, never separate. Happy NY.