As if we needed one more reminder of the whirlwind that was 2024, here’s another reflection to add to the mix.
New Year’s has a way of stirring thoughts about the generations that have come and gone—their visions of the present, their reflections on the past, and their dreams for the future. It’s incredible to think that we are now 100 years removed from New Year’s 1925.
A few people born in that year or earlier are still with us, but as time marches on, they too will fade away. Soon, there will be no one left who experienced the world as it was a century ago. Unless groundbreaking advances in life-saving technology emerge, the reality is that 100 years from now, those living then likely won’t know we existed, and we will no longer be here.
DUALITY OF TIME
This duality—the fleeting nature of our existence and the enduring march of time—is both the nostalgia and joy of New Year’s. It reminds us that life continues, that humanity perseveres despite the challenges and calamities the planet throws our way. Yet, that same nostalgia carries a bittersweet feeling. The darkness of memory lingers in our hearts, and while it can be a source of warmth, it can also lead to melancholy. We’ve all had moments where nostalgia pulls us into sadness, sometimes even depression.
But that’s the magic of midnight. At 12AM, nostalgia steps aside to make room for the promise of something new. Whether you celebrate by kissing a loved one, hugging friends and family, or standing quietly under the night sky, the moment is yours to own. Midnight wipes the slate clean like a Catholic Church confession.
RESOLVE TO RESOLVE
Resolutions may be famously short-lived, but why not aim to keep a few this year longer than the normal time frame? Pause and consider that the feelings you have now—the hope, the uncertainty, the optimism—aren’t so different from those felt by people ringing in 1925. As their clocks struck midnight, they celebrated with the same belief in the possibility of brighter days ahead. History has since painted the realities of their time, but in that moment, they, too, embraced hope.
As we step into 2025, let’s hold onto that same belief. We will persevere as we always do. And when the clock strikes midnight next December, we’ll likely find ourselves saying, “Thank God 2024 is over,” just as we will for 2025 and the years that follow. Because that’s what we do as human beings. We endure. We hope. And we keep moving forward, whether it’s 1925, 2025, or 3025.
Here’s to embracing the passage of time, to holding onto hope, and to welcoming the future with open arms.