The last day of the year tends to be a time of reflection and at almost the same instance, a time of anticipation. For many of us, this includes reviewing some past mistakes we’ve made perhaps, or some unfortunate events that have happened to us. We formulate resolutions, which more than likely someone will be asking us about by time the next day comes around, hoping to improve certain behaviours or events from continuing forward. Perhaps in these resolutions are the jewels of anticipation for how we can improve the situation for ourselves and for others. Achievable goals to work towards, for better times and a better world.
Sometimes it’s so difficult to face things that went wrong. I’ve read from a number of sources that ‘shame’ gets its power from our fear that other’s won’t like or love us because of something we’ve done in the past. It’s why it is so difficult at times to forgive ourselves, or to speak about past regrets to others who know us.
That is not what we’re meant to be carrying forward with on New Year’s Eve. The midnight message of the angels proclaiming ‘Peace on Earth’ needs to begin somewhere, which means for most of us that it needs to come from within us each as individuals. If there’s something form the past year or the past in itself that we regret, the most peaceful thing we can do (if in doing so it doesn’t renew a pain with someone else), is apologise.
Have you ever noticed how few apology cards there are. Tons of birthday cards, sympathy, congratulations, anniversary, new birth, new pet, new house, new friend, new romance, retirement, new job, sad-to-see-you-go, and thinking of you cards to be found, but where are the apology ones? Wouldn’t it make things so much easier, in terms of finding the right words to say, if there were? What I’ve done at times in the past (sadly, I confess, not often enough), is to simply purchase a blank card and write out a simple apology out in it and send it off. It creates such a peaceful feeling to do this. There is, at times in our lives, many moments of experiencing a ‘peace that goes beyond understanding’, and this certainly applies to what can precipitate from a sincere apology.
Of course, apologising quickly and in person, or at least by phone soon after a regretful incident has occurred has always worked best for most of us, but for those lingering regrets, perhaps you may consider sending a simple, sincere card and get it off of your chest. Perhaps it will make one worthwhile and easily achievable resolution for the new year.
https://orbitfriendly.bandcamp.com/track/it-came-upon-the-midnight-clear