Happy New Year

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Here we go - welcome 2024!


This week is a time when past and future are forefront in my mind as on Monday I hung up a 2024 calendar and today began dismantling the Christmas decor.


Thankfully decorations come down much quicker than when they appeared - strange how that is. Mind you the outdoor lights and 3 ft. candle canes are wound in a rats nest splayed out across the basement floor. There will be time next week for compact sorting and packing. 


The ornaments, which have been brought along from house to house, go gently into boxes and tissue paper as old as the ornaments. There you will find an assorted collection from blending two families plus a few newbies gathered from travels. Among the treasures are 40+ year old ornaments my children created out of styrofoam and lace, more current ornaments made by grandchildren, a couple of miniature sailing ships (David’s),  70+ year old butterfly hat pins from Spears Millenary in Saint John where David’s Aunt Dorothy worked, gifts from friends and members of congregations I served and miniature nativity scenes I purchased when travelling in Bethlehem. Each treasure offers a story - including the boxes and packing paper… some printed in Arabic.


The task is usually not completed (if ever) until Epiphany January 6. However, this year I started early as we will celebrate Epiphany this weekend in PEI.


By Sunday all that will remain is the scent of balsam and the fir needles that seem to never totally vanish.


As for the calendar - I may be one of the few people who still hang a wall calendar…. specifically a United Church of Canada calendar in my office. I scan the monthly photos and enjoy the sight of the empty pages waiting to be filled. 


As I leaf through the calendar, which features a difference church building each month, I look for familiar places and connections across the country… and of course check the day of my birthday.


While I use an electronic calendar for daily schedules, the wall calendar still seems more tangible. I like the look of the daily squares - empty - waiting to be filled. I wonder, what sadness will engulf our days? What opportunities lie ahead of us this year? What Epiphanies? 


I look upon it and wonder - do the empty squares say, “leave room for mystery and curiosity” while you go make a difference, touch a heart, encourage a mind, inspire a soul and enjoy the day?


As you pack away your Christmas treasures and embrace 2024 I hope you find time to renew your Spirit to welcome whatever Epiphanies await. 


May 2024 be filled with peace, courage, wisdom and kindness... plus mystery and curiosity.  


In Peace,

Elizabeth


elizstevenson@gmail.com

506-650-4812


Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.
― Arundhati Roy, writer + human rights activist

Comments

  1. Thoughts from Chickadee LaneJanuary 4, 2024 at 7:33 PM

    Elizabeth here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment. And if you feel comfortable please leave your name. First name and initial will do. I love to know who you are.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 4, 2024 at 7:59 PM

    Enjoyable reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thoughts from Chickadee LaneJanuary 4, 2024 at 8:01 PM

      Thank you for your kind comment.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2024 at 12:03 AM

      Interesting how we all have our "put out" and " pack away". So much I parted with when we moved to our Apartment, but I still have Keepsakes! May 2024 be happy and healthy forr you and David.
      Grace

      Delete
    3. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2024 at 9:59 AM

      I also keep a calendar on the wall beside our wall phone. Have not come fully into the 21st century. Time seems to go so fast as I get older.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2024 at 10:18 AM

    I to have a wall calendar. It is what I use when I have see the whole picture, not just the scheduled events. My phone calender keeps me on track, my wall calendar keeps me grounded.
    Marg A

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2024 at 2:47 PM

    You’re writing is lovely. I still look forward to reading them. Hope you and yours is having a lovely New Year’s. Hopefully we’ll get together this summer. Pauline

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 8, 2024 at 8:09 PM

    Thanks, Elizabeth, always wise and comforting. Marg F

    ReplyDelete

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