It’s New Year’s Eve. 2013. It’s over, well almost. I have a few more hours in 2013 to log a few accomplishments, to make up for things I didn’t do, should’ve done, could’ve done, or made excuses because I simply did not do them. Or, I could dwell on the things I did, the things I did well. Instead, I will move forward, trying to remember what Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer and philosopher, wrote long ago:
“Every man has only enough strength to complete those assignments that he is fully convinced are important.”
Goethe, wrote a lot, significantly more than I have, especially in the past year. Like Goethe, I have time for what is important, what is necessary, and what I need to do.
I am at the cottage. We are all at the cottage. W, Ivy, and I drove up Sunday morning. He drove the first three hours, all the way to Grand Rapids. No stopping, just driving. He did well. Of course it was early Sunday morning, the roads were clear, and all the really bad drivers were, elsewhere. That’s why Sunday mornings are the best day to drive, it is a bad joke, trust me. O and b were here when we arrived.
It’s always relaxing to be up north, away from home. O has been skiing every day since she’s been here. All of them took off skiing yesterday with our friends. They came home late last night and I had dinner ready – prime rib, mashed potatoes, and caramelized carrots and onions. I had been busy while they had been out – cooking and other chores. I called Julie and my mother-in-law and caught up. I took Ivy for a walk in the snow, and I began writing my thank you notes. I still need to finish them, but I’ll mail the notes I wrote yesterday when I am out this morning.
Tonight, we are hosting New Year’s Eve. I am cooking and the kids will have a great time. The adult’s will, too. We’ll stay up late and ring in the New Year. It will be a good time.
In the meantime, I have one more day, one more opportunity to make a difference, one more chance to make 2013 count. Goethe wrote prolifically and there are hundreds of quotes attributed to him, but among them are:
- “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.”
- “He who moves not forward, goes backward.”
- “We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden.”
- “Nothing is worth more than this day.”
I had better move and move forward. There is much to do, there always is. Today is gonna be a great day, possibly the best day ever. So, I had better jump up, jump in and seize the day. Because today is gonna be a great day. As Goethe put it, “nothing is worth more than this day,” nothing. Making the Days Count, even when it is the last day of the year, because each day is the last day of something or the first day.
It all depends on how you look at it. What are you going to do with your last day of 2013? Or, what did you do with it?
That’s a lot of snow…..looks cold. Stay warm and here’s to a wonderful New Year making each day count!
It is COLD here and the snow pack keeps it cold. The snow pack is so deep Ivy has to leap and hop through it. We carved some trails and my son started to scoop the snow into a large mound to make a Quinzee or carved ice fort. I have been enjoying the cold vicariously. happy New Year!
What a great last-day-of-the-year post, Clay! I am copying some of those Goethe quotes so that I can remember them.
Your New Year’s Eve plans sound lovely. Ours will be quiet, but comfy and warm. We were going to go out, but it is so cold we are going to have a dinner of take-out Chinese followed by an evening of watching movies instead.
I look forward to a new year of Making the Days Count! A happy and healthy New Year to you and your family!
Thank you, I found the main Goethe quote a few years ago and have used it before, I like it because I have a tendency to think I don’t have enough time, but in reality I have enough time to the things I want, the things I value, and the things which are most important. Have a Happy New Year and I hope your New Year’s Eve was as as fun and relaxing as ours was.
You know what we did. Downsized ahead of our Big Move. Getting rid of stuff is supposed to be cathartic, releasing, generally A Good Thing. And I feel bereaved. I truly am hopeless at this. Never mind: I’ve just looked at your quote on the right’….another cahnce to get it right’. Happy New Year!
That’s the beauty of a new year, or new start, you get to wipe the slate clean. I understand it is tough to sift and sort through a life’s acquisitions and belongings and choose what stays and what goes. Cheers to a new year, and a new beginning. Thanks for following along.
We are doing the same this year. Staying home with friends, food, and drink to ring in the new year. Good times.
Happy New Year!
We had a lot of fun and saw the last bit of the Texas Aggie comeback, then watched the ball drop on Times Square. It was time well spent! Hope you had a great first day of 2014.