The Rebirth of Hope

Whether we hate all the new promises and plans brought on by this new year, all the promises and plans that will be forgotten by   the end of January we can’t deny that there is something magical about the first day of a new year. I know better than to think that I’ll be a better person once the clock strikes midnight and that all my worries, fears and troubles will melt away as the old year creeps into the shadows but you know, it sure feels like it.

I’m an in-the-closet optimist who parades as a pessimist so as the seconds counted down to a new year there was a battle raging inside of me. The pessimist told me to hold on to my seat, keep those delusions of grandeur at bay and take this as nothing more than a time change. The optimist however experienced a rebirth. She can’t help herself. As she stepped into the New Year my closeted optimist partied, laughed and shrieked in joy.

 You see, my optimistic self loves a good rebirth story and that’s what a New Year represents. It’s not that she is foolish enough to believe life will be grander in 2013. It’s just that she is hopeful that it will be. As the New Year rolls around it means that I’ve survived 365 days. 365 days of laughter tears and screams. I spoke to a friend who wasn’t too enthusiastic about the New Year and really I don’t blame her, 2012 was pretty shitty for her. But what she didn’t understand is that she had more to celebrate than those who had a great year. It takes character to get through 365 days of mostly pain and heartache. It’s a triumph to still get out of bed after the year past tried to stomp you to the ground. I know I told 2012 and all it’s ills go to hell when I smiled at the opening of 2013. Whether we break all our resolutions or don’t become better people in 2013 we were hopeful enough to think that change is possible and that’s all I need to keep going… hope.