New Year's Eve- Magic, Grapes, and Goals!

 With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, I can’t resist doing a little goal setting and reflecting on what this year has brought.  Ever since I was little, I have greeted the New Year with open arms and a sense of excitement of what could be just around the corner and the anticipation of doing each season, each holiday, each of the “big days” (first /last day of school, birthdays, etc) just a little bit better. As I kid, my sister and I used to spend New Year’s Eve with my grandparents, who had a long standing tradition of eating and serving us black eyed peas for good luck on that night, as well as, directly after midnight, serving us twelve grapes, one for each month of the year. As we ate each grape, we were to carefully think of a wish that we wanted to happen in the New Year. You think it would be easy to make twelve wishes, but I can tell you, it can get hard, especially when you grow out of Barbies and other numerous toys. And for as long as I have been able to write, I have always made a list of my goals for the upcoming year.

Now, I believe that you can start over at any time; no need to say, “Well, I blew that one! Guess I gotta wait another 10 months to get it right!” But there is something magical about this season and New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. Even if it just a manmade, societal construct, I think there is something beautiful about friends and family gathering together and celebrating the lives they have, the people in it, and the promise of what is to come.  And really, is there anything wrong with making wishes and setting goals? I think not.

But for me, the wishes and goals I have for the upcoming year are always created out of the reflection of what has happened over the last year. And when I think back to what last year was like a year ago today, it is exactly the same and totally different.  See, last December 29^th, I was on my way to NYC for the first time ever. And as I write this, it is December 29^th and I am on a flight to NYC. Kind of ironic. But outside of that, so much has changed. A year ago, there was a boy I was emailing with but had never met (we met exchanging raw food recipes/tips on a website).  We met for the first time on New Year’s Eve day (see, I told you that day is magic).  A year later and after much trial and error (and many happy visits in between), I am flying to ring in the New Year with Mike and can’t imagine what this year would have been like had I NOT met him and had I NOT been a bit spontaneous and met up with friends in NYC, as it was not in my original holiday plans. A year ago, I was in a on again, off again, completely unhealthy involvement with a guy I had been seeing for over a year. I can remember having some heart-wrenching conversations right before I went to NYC about his relationship phobias. Little did I know I would meet someone so special and fall in love with a city I had only dreamt of visiting. And had someone told me a year ago that I would be flying back a year later to be with this man and this city, I would’ve never believed. Life is really magical!

 

So, in honor of the magic that is New Year’s Eve, of careful reflection, and my lovely NaNa and NaNo, who taught me that grapes could be transformative if you had enough gusto to put your wishes our there, I am going to make my 12 wishes for 2010. Not sure if I will be able to get my hands on some grapes on NYE, but I’m still going to set my intentions, cross my fingers, and believe that anything is possible

 1.Complete health- mind, body, soul, spirit.

 2. For my family/friends to be healthy as well.

 3. To always have enough of what I need.

4.    4. And for my family/friends to have enough as well.

5     5.For this to be my happiest year yet. Annoyingly happy!

6.    6.To travel lots and lots- ideally with someone I adore.

7.     7. To make a little more money to do that and to see my family more.

8.     8. To love where I live and have the guts to change my surroundings if it isn’t working (that might be 2 wishes!).

    .  9.To finally, finally get my yoga certification and pass on the love of yoga to others.

10. 10.To have the opportunity to start making strides toward my alternate career goals in health and nutrition.

11. 11.To continue to be in a happy, healthy relationship that just keeps blooming.

12. 12.To have enough sense of worth to walk away from anyone or anything that isn’t a reflection of what I really want/deserve….so I will never have to write another blog about settling for less than my heart’s desire.

Now go grab your twelve red, organic grapes and start wishing! Lots of love and hope to all of you!