New Year and a New Decade

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and days of old lang syne ?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Here it is a New Year and a new decade. Where does time go? I love getting in touch with friends and relations over the holidays even if it is just a note dropped in a pretty card or a friendly email to let us know we are in the thoughts and prayers of those we love.

This year we didn’t send out cards, and I have very mixed feelings about that.

Since I have been out of work, money seemed too tight and postage alone seemed out of sight. This particular year I didn’t send out cards because I helped with Mom’s surgery (double knee replacement) and recovery and I had a recovery of my own to deal with.

Do I feel guilty? Yes.

Am I willing to forgive myself? Yes again.

Do I still want to maintain the bonds of love and affection with our friends and family? Most definitely!

I got an email from some very dear old friends I have known for nearly 20 years. I met them when they were already in their seventies. I was doing research on 12th and 13th century Jesse Tree windows and they invited me to be a guest in their home while I was in Kent for my research. {Link } They treated me as if I were one of their kin and three years later, when I returned with a bound copy of my thesis for their local library; they treated me and my new husband just as kindly.

We have visited them several times and always come away feeling so blessed to know them. Neither my husband nor I have any grandparents left, and the Eagles have sort of stepped into that role.

They keep hinting at the inevitable . . . . I am hoping that we will be able to see them some time soon. Maybe a new job in a new year is just the ticket.

. . . We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Fourth Advent 2009

Dearest ones,
As we await the coming of the Christ-child and the return of the risen Christ, we also await the beginning of the New Year filled with hope and new possibilities.

This has been a difficult year for so many people, and we were not immune. What started out as year filled with exciting opportunities and possibilities, ended with one less job in our household. Full-time and even part-time jobs are difficult to come by everywhere, but especially in a college town.

Don still serves one of the best congregations in the diocese (okay, I’m biased) as he has for the past 14 years. We celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. And we took a wonderful two week vacation to the Netherlands. Those were the highpoints.

The low points included my lost job, the demise of my e-book deal (which was contingent on my teaching 600 students a year) and a months-long battle with depression.

What have I learned from these extremes?

I have learned to be open to the possibilities God has in store for me and for us, to simplify my wants and desires for the things that are really important, to watch my pennies and make them work even harder than usual, to give thanks for the things I do have and to not worry about the things I don’t have, and to cast off the “things” that are getting in my way (and I mean this quite literally).

This week, as we approach the manger to glimpse the babe who is God among us, let us adore Him. As we await the coming of the New Kingdom, let us seek hope in the New Year.

Best wishes for a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Emanda and Donald+