Head into the adventure of the New Year

The other night, my sister Treasa and brother-in-law George’s van was out of commission, and the whole family wouldn’t fit into their other car. So, after we finished dinner and all, George and the five older children were going to walk home from my parents’ house in the dark.

My father added to the adventure by handing each child—ages 4 to 9—a little flashlight. They tumbled out the door into the darkness ready for their walk in the cool evening air.

My sister Maureen and I went along partly for fun and partly in case an extra set of hands was needed with the crew. But minutes into the walk, I could see the children only needed us as an appreciative audience.

This was their terrain, and they knew the walk well—even though they might not usually make the trip in the dark. They were prepared to point out all the sights along the way, and there are many during Christmas week.

“Look at the snowman on the roof!”

“Do you see Santa?”

“Here’s the llama!”

“The Grinch is dancing!”

They announced each spot along the way, even stopping to pose for photos with some of their favorite decorations. Even after we had arrived home, they had to walk us around the corner to see inflatable nutcrackers and Grinches and snowmen.

It was a magical walk—for us and for the children. And I thought, as I often do, how much experiences are enriched when seeing them through children’s eyes. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked that very same path without noticing “the jungle” or a special bench. I loved seeing a child jump out from behind a tree with an enthusiastic “Boo!” followed by gales of laughter. They ran into the darkness with confidence and curiosity.

As we prepare to begin a new year, I know that the days might not seem all that different on the other side of midnight on January 1. But they also await us with wonder, holding new opportunities and new discoveries.

Maybe the best way to greet these days ahead is like a child who’s been handed a flashlight to find the way through the dark. May we move into the year ready to discover the familiar with new eyes and a sense of hopeful anticipation and joy.

If you’re looking for a saint for the new year, you can have one randomly selected for you with this Saint Name Generator or this Generator created by Tiny Saints. I was happy to be paired with St. Ignatius of Antioch, and then I was over the moon to get St. Rita of Cascia through Tiny Saints! I have never had my patron and namesake for the year. I hope that means it will be a good year.

You might also enjoy picking a word through this Word of the Year generator. My word for this year is “Recalibrate,” which implies that there has been some sort of calibration already.

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