Reflections on New Year’s Day
Awoke today to a still white world and wondered. New Year’s Day holds promise that other days simply can’t and beneath that blanket of snow, lies the endless possibility of renewal. And I realise over the last couple of weeks of living in this unfamiliar environment how it has changed me. I can’t hurry along in my usual way, my mind far ahead of my body. For unless I place my feet deliberately, the snow, ice or slush will make me fall. Slowing down, I can offer an arm to those less agile than me. I can share a joke with those shoveling snow off the footpath, or smile at other pedestrians as we sink into snow that hasn’t been cleared. Instead of bemoaning the rain at the bus stop, I can marvel at the beauty and symmetry of the snowflakes as they fall. I wouldn’t choose these extreme conditions but no one has actually given me the choice. I have been forced to change and I think it has been positive.
So those will be my goals for this year. To accept life’s gradual unfolding, railing less against things I have no power over. To be conscious of the path that I am walking and where my feet are falling. To maintain a sense of wonder of this wide and wild world and be open to the people I meet along the way. Happy New Year, to friends old and new. I wish you a wonderful 2009.
Tags: Canada, Expat life, Travel
