New year brings challenges

New Year, new opportunities, new challenges. Yet, as we all realize, it’s largely the symbolic attribution to an arbitrary date. The impact amounts to nothing if we don’t internalize newness.

Resolutions, then, become the symbolic emotional housecleaning. My own list this year promises to be reinforced by a news story I just read, detailing how three planets and the moon will be performing a celestial dance of alignment on New Year’s Eve, just after sunset. That must be important--hope you saw it.

Most of my resolutions this year relate to my significant other. For one this may be a spouse, for another a friend, partner, betrothed-whoever is vitally important to you.

The first one, though, to stay on top of an exercise program, was really spurred on by my grandson, also vitally important. As we watched a movie the other night, he said “I hate this. Every movie I watch, someone’s granddad is having a heart attack.” We discussed the fear later, and I explained that is why I ride my bike, swim, lift weights and so on--that nobody can promise they won’t have a heart attack, but we can help ourselves.