Eight maids-a-milking

On the eighth day of Christmas, the year becomes new.
We wonder, resolve what we're going to do
in the time that's before us, how little we know
that the fire now within us will be barely a glow.

Happy New Year! The Eighth Day of Christmas is a new beginning. The new year has begun. Oh, how we love new beginnings, a fresh start, another chance ... . And we should. It's never too late. Old dogs, new tricks, it doesn't matter. You're never too old to learn, to grow, to change, to start over.

It comes at an odd place, though, two-thirds of the way through the season. We humans like symmetry, so why not have the new year start in the middle? Why is it off-center? Given that the solstices (beginning of winter and summer; shortest and longest days of the year) and equinoxes (beginning of spring and fall; equally long days and nights) all occur about two-thirds of the way through their respective months perhaps it is just fitting that the change of year be placed there as well. Or could it be that the last in the long line of figures whose birth is honored at this time of year, Jesus, is of Jewish descent and consequently would have been circumcised on this day? Oh, I know thoughts like that make some people uncomfortable, but this day would be, as it is for us today, a day of celebration. That's all I'm saying.

OK, it's not all I'm saying. My intent throughout these past few days has been to get you thinking differently about something as everyday as Christmas. Let's face it, Christmas is a pretty secular holiday and the ideas of having and money abound around this time of year. It wasn't the original intent of the holiday, as we have seen, and it could do us just a little good to stop and reflect on the state of things, perhaps because it would be worth shifting our attention just a little. As it is, we're on autopilot most of the time. We are so full of ourselves and our own cultural and social norms that we fail to recognize that others can and do see the world quite differently from us. Sure, we know that Asia starts their year at a different time and that certain religions have selected other days for their new year, but ours is the one that starts now and it is this one we would be best served to devote our attention to.

What all cultures have in common though, and what is probably the human element of it all is that new years mean new chances. We can't and shouldn't just drag all our shame, guilt and misdeeds with us forever. We should have the opportunity to be just a little sorry for our behavior and maybe, just maybe, to ask those we've offended for some heartfelt forgiveness. If we did, the new year would truly be new. It's not so much that we should add an additional burden on ourselves, say, in the form of some new year's resolution we know we won't keep, but rather, we should maybe just try being a little more thoughtful, a little more considerate of others, and a little kinder to those who share the world with us. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it can make.