A Toast to Time
Time, the years, the seasons, the dreaming and the hopes which throb with life even under the ice and snow. There is an order to all things, a pressure of progression, and the winds themselves will die into nothingness, and the tides wither away before the hopes shall have ended, the aspirations frozen forever. Year builds upon year, even as the seasons follow. And year's end is no end at all, but only a pause, a time for the deep breath that marks the next step forward. There is no halt, no turning back. Tomorrow rises in the east and all the tomorrows. ~Hal Borland (1900–1978)
Another meaningful quote by Hal Borland.
Harold G. Borland was an American writer and journalist who worked as a staff writer and editorialist for the New York Times. A naturalist, he published many fiction and nonfiction books about the great outdoors.
Interestingly, I used one of his quotes for my New Year's post last year. Since his voice resonates with me, I must try to explore his work further. (I’ll add that to my ‘Goals’ list for 2025.)
Speaking of goals, better time management is always the overarching theme.
Time is described in the quote above as ‘the years, the seasons, the dreaming and the hopes.’
Looking back over my life, I always see it in those terms. I can’t remember many specific events from a particular year or period, such as the 1960s and 1970s. But when I break it down into more precise categories, my long-term memory kicks in.
Seasons…
they have a way of conjuring memories I don’t think of often. Winter brings the holidays, which trigger thoughts of people and places I’ve long forgotten. Occasionally, (if I’m lucky) a silent still shot flashes through my brain, and I can again see a moment from a lived experience that faded so long ago.
The same goes for all the other holidays that occur during Autumn, Spring, and Summer.
Dreams and hopes…
I wanted to be a famous writer, among other vocations. I wanted to be popular and longed for the attention of a few boys throughout my school years. I dreamt of traveling the world and seeing everything that couldn’t be found in a small town in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA.
But time marches on, and our goals change. The dreams and hopes are replaced by new ones. Some remain, but many are challenged by the difficulties and fluctuations that inevitably come with each life.
Despite this, human resilience presses us forward along with the progression of time and the underlying order of the natural world. I find these reliable patterns comforting, and wrote about them in a post entitled 4.5 Billion Years of Wonderment.
The end of the year is just that—a measure of time that’s been completed while time itself presses on. We pause to look back and assess our failures and accomplishments, hoping to do better in the new year.
But isn’t it glorious to know that each day, when the sun rises in the east, we have another opportunity? A chance to build a life that brings us contentment and peace, one we can be proud of.
And one that serves as an example for others to do good work, love honestly, and respect and help their fellow humans.
Perhaps we'd be better served by considering what legacy we want to leave rather than how much weight we should lose. Both are important for different reasons.
How we treat ourselves, others, the creatures on the planet, and the earth itself speaks volumes about who we are. I plan to develop a mindset focusing on what others will think of me when I’m gone.
What is YOUR mindset heading into 2025?
I wish everyone a terrific New Year’s…Enjoy, and stay safe…See you in 2025!
I leave you with a song I found that speaks about new beginnings, promises, and the importance of the roles we each play. (The lyrics are included below.)
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Lyrics
Another year you made a promise
Another chance to turn it all around
And do not save this for tomorrow
Embrace the past and you can live for now
And I will give the world to you
Speak louder than the words before you
And give them meaning no one else has found
The role we play is so important
We are the voices of the underground
And I would give the world to you
Say everything you've always wanted
Be not afraid of who you really are
Cause in the end we have each other
And that's at least one thing worth living for
And I would give the world to you
A million suns that shine upon me
A million eyes you are the brightest blue
Lets tear the walls down that divide us
And build a statue strong enough for two
I pass it back to you
And I will wait for you,
Cause I would give the world
And I would give the world
And I would give the world to you
This is the new year
A new beginning
You made a promise
You are the brightest
We are the voices
This is the new year
We are the voices
This is the new year
A new beginning
You made a promise
We are the voices
This is the new year
My mindset heading into 2025 is to remember to be grateful; to enjoy each day for the gift that it is. Life itself is a miracle. Our planet is a miracle. So far, science has not succeeded in finding life anywhere else, other than here. So we are extremely lucky to be on this blue marble in space and to be alive. Each moment on this planet is a gift. (I am echoing British physicist Brian Cox who has expressed the same concept with great eloquence.) This year I will try to remember to appreciate this miracle: short, fleeting and precious as it is; as I, too, am destined to pass away like so many others before and after me.
Sending you Best Wishes for 2025!