A Special New Year’s Wish For Friends
And so, here we are again, on the cusp of a new year, and I have been wondering what to write today.
I could wish all of you who have had troubles this year, an easier year in 2019 – and of course I do wish that for you all; but as you so well know, life doesn’t always work out that way for us, despite all our wishing.
The opening line of M. Scott Peck’s timeless book, The Road Less Travelled, is “Life is difficult.”
Once you can accept that, life becomes a lot easier.
Except it’s not easy to accept this.
We desire so much to be in control of our lives, and the people and circumstances around us.
We think that if we can bend ourselves or others to our will, then life will be the way we want it to be.
For those of us who have had a serious illness such as cancer, we learn pretty quickly that life doesn’t work like that.
For those of us who have lost loved ones, life certainly doesn’t work like that.
And yet, despite all evidence to the contrary, in the words of Sufi master, Hazrat Inayat Khan, “walking on the turning wheel of the earth, living under the ever-rotating sun, man expects a peaceful life.”
G.K. Chesterton wrote that it is not that we should have a new year, but “it is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes”.
And so this New Year’s Eve, I wish you all new ears to hear what you need to hear; new eyes to see the beauty in the ordinary and the potential in your life; new feet to take you where you need to go; and a new backbone to give you the strength to cope with life’s challenges.
And as another new year unfolds may you have a new heart and soul to welcome it with openness, peace and love.
Most of all, may we continue to support and comfort each other on our journeys, whatever they may take us in the coming year.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
“A New Year Blessing” ~ John O’Donohue
Benedictus (To Bless The Space Between Us)
Happy new year my beautiful friend. May 2020 live on in hindsight where it belongs and may 2021 heal our aching world from its grieving and its loneliness. May it bring us closer to meeting alive and with open arms. May you find what you’re seeking and all the good you deserve. Infinitely and with much love, Ilene
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Dearest Ilene, your words are like a blessing to me – thank you from the deepest depths of my heart. And a thousand yeses to “May it bring us closer to meeting alive and with open arms”
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If only we had a forward button we could select a future for ourselves without grief or pain, without fear or isolation, without lost days or too long nights. My hope never dies. Wind cannot blow away the candle in the dark rooms, where that light reminds us that we can guard that flame that is our spirits, that guide our journeys, that bring our dreams into the world, and with that small flicker of hope we lead ourselves into a new calendar year in the time we call life. Without love life hasn’t any meaning – nor any heartache. Without love we haven’t taken risks – and fallen flat to pick ourselves up again. Without love we’d not feel stress or even the notion of what real friendship means. For its in our rooms, late, early or any time at all when you hold up your flame, reach out a hand and say quietly – are you out there? And as if a magical gift bestowed by unseen forces makes it so – you hear the response – of course I’m here, I’m always here, I’ll be here when you need me most. That’s the truth and the soul of friendship. Expecting nothing yet receiving everything we could possibly need.
I’ve been truly blessed by the healing support of so many open arms ready to catch me if I should stumble. It’s like that silly team building trust game of falling backwards and hoping there will be someone there to make sure you don’t fall. And you don’t. Even though virtually held in a huge circle of people like ourselves who have tragedy as a common ground, we’ve decided to create beauty beyond measure in our words and in always knowing you’re never alone and won’t hit the ground. There’s too much love surrounding all of us by seeing through what others might not see as real – but I can say there’s people who know me better than friends I have seen in person. And you know what? None of it matters but the real emotional strength that can grow a flower even in the vast desert…it’s not an oasis either. It’s real. And it’s honest and there’s no pretense or need to explain. Because you already know.
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Perfect words, Marie – wishing you much love and good health, always xxx
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Wishing you a year of good health and happiness Sarah x
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