The Curse is Broken

For the first time in a long while, I wrote today's post early in the day.  Problem was, it was based on the past.  And as the day has  progressed, I have realized that the past, while valid as a past, isn't accurate any more.  Maybe it's a fluke, or maybe it's the effects of an odd year, but suddenly I'm not hating New Year's Eve the way I have every year since I was a child.

After decades of seeing New Year's either as the end of vacation or as a reminder of countless things undone or of too many challenges ahead, this year, when so many things would fall into those categories, I am oddly calm.  A year ago today, I worked my last day at One Life to Live, checking the final few shows that would air in January. As the clock struck twelve that night, I entered a year that would be full of ups and downs, and a year later, I'm not sure if I'm up or down. But New Year's isn't the moment that will decide things.  It's a night when I buy festive dinner foods I'd usually veto.  It's a night when my kids don't have to argue to stay up till midnight.  It's a night when I can watch a great concert from Lincoln Center while sitting on my couch in my PJs, and read assorted reflective messages from my friends on Facebook.

After a year of constantly reworking my expectations, New Year's no longer feels like a 24-hour reminder of expectations not met.  It's just another day.

So, drop the ball folks (and quickly, before I fall asleep!!). The New Year's curse is broken.  Happy New Year to all, and to all, a great 2013.