Week 53: Celebration and Remembrance

Remembrance

We may never pass this way again. [Title of a song by Seals and Crofts] Only a special work of art can avoid becoming cliche with overuse. The song “Auld Lang Syne” meets this test as well as any. The lyrics are those of a poem by the great Scottish
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Anticipation

We can never know about the days to come but we think about them anyway. [from the Carly Simon song "Anticipation"] Only a few weeks ago, we celebrated living in the here and now, experiencing every moment as eternity’s sunrise. That is excellent and it does not prevent us from
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Preparation

Every end marks a beginning. The end of the year is not the end of life. We are about to start over. Prepare for another go-round on the journey.
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Interlude

An interlude is a brief rest, a brief time of calming or reflection. Take a breath: a new year is just around the corner.
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Triumph

Here, triumph refers to a way of looking at things. It is a way of continuing your celebration, and you can do it alone.
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Ritual

Paul Gauguin, Fire Dance (1891) Ritual is to values, ideals, practices and the like as roots are to a tree. When people participate in rituals that engage their bodies, emotions, thoughts and sensations, their brains store memories of those experiences. Over time, as the rituals are practiced repeatedly, they mold
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Celebrating

In summer we calmed ourselves and rested. Now, at the beginning of winter and the end of the calendar year, many people restore their souls and refresh their spirits in another way: with joyous and raucous celebration – tastefully done, of course. Some values and practices seem to fit well
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