December 31

I do not believe the New Year is magical. I do not think that adding a "1" to the previous date guarantees good things to come.

Just because someone hundreds of years ago decided that this would be last day of the year doesn't make it special.

I don't believe that just because it is a new year, good things will happen.

I do feel that many of us need to believe in new beginnings. If midnight on the 31st of December is when we chose to say farewell to the past, great.

People who need a fresh start have given this day significance. I have mixed feelings about it. By itself, the day is an ordinary box on my calendar.

But I am a person who needs to say goodbye to some of my past. This is a day that allows me to leave what has happened behind and to look ahead.

I hope for new, better things to come. I set goals, make plans.

In reality, I could do this any other day. But something in our culture makes this day special. I can't define it--maybe it is just a human need to have hope for a better year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. Just hope for the future.