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Looking Forward


If asked, my co-workers would undoubtedly tell you that my favorite holiday is Christmas, and has been as long as they've known me.

I do love Christmas. I start counting down around the beginning of July and it drives everyone around me just a little bit nuts. I do my Christmas shopping throughout the year most years, so I don't have a huge list of things to buy all at once. I decorate around Thanksgiving time. I try to get all of the big stuff done and out of the way long before the actual day, so that I can sit back and enjoy it.

But I have to admit that the last few years, I've been looking more forward to New Year's than to Christmas. It's not because I'm a big partier. To be honest with you, I've never been to an actual New Year's Eve party. The most I've engaged in on New Year's is playing a few rounds of UNO with my family.

So why has this become my favorite holiday?

As I've gotten older, I've begun to look forward to New Year's because I see it as a time of calm reflection. I try my best not to dwell on any (and all) failures of the past year, but on the lessons that I learned, on the memories that I made, and on the projects that I started around New Year's last year. Around New Year's I kick into high gear and go on a cleaning frenzy. I discard or donate things I haven't used in so long I can't remember. I usually set at least a resolution or two. So far for 2013, the only one I've made is that I want to read 101 books throughout the year. My friend Ellie did this a few years ago and greatly enjoyed the experience, and I haven't done nearly as much reading as I'd like to lately.

The holiday excites me because I see it as somewhat of a clean slate. And yes, sometimes I fail at my resolutions, but I do always at least attempt to reach my goals. And what is life without goals?

What about you? What are your hopes for the coming year? What goals do you plan to set for yourself?
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