goodbye 2011

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."
-Leonard Cohen

This morning I'm thinking of all the updates received from friends and families over the last few weeks.  New babies, growing children, adjustments to life without a loved one, moves, new jobs, retirement, grandparenting.  The full gamut of life, full of cracks, always changing.

I'm thinking of this home where I spend early mornings lately by the tree, reading, reflecting, praying.  Lighting Advent candles, and now Christmas candles.  How grateful I am to have a quiet, warm place to reflect and write and read.  Rock and I often read to one another something that stood out particularly in our morning reading.  It's worship, I guess.

I remember other new year's eves.  Having friends over to the manse in the village of Wyoming.  Ringing the church bells at midnight.  Further back, I remember watching movies we weren't supposed to watch while my parents were out celebrating the new year.  Banging pots and pans and screaming, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" through our porch screen to all our Lincoln Street neighbors.    Somewhere in the middle--making my way through a snowy labyrinth lit by candles at Holden Village in Washington state, and burning the year's regrets in a bonfire.

Rock and I never really know what we're going to do for new year's.  We may go into Rochester for dinner and a movie.  But what sounds more interesting to me this year is a walk in the woods and a bonfire.  It's strangely warm this year, like spring.  We can watch the flames grow and think about the way things keep changing.  The way love springs up out of nowhere, the way disease rears its ugly head unexpectedly, the cracks in everything.

Bennie might follow us into the woods.  He has a red and white collar around his neck these days with jingle bells on it.  C'mon ring those new year bells, Bennie!  It doesn't have to be a perfect celebration.  All of life is holy, cracks and all.  As Leonard says, that's how the light gets in.

Happy New Year, everyone!