Hooray! Christmas was awesome and the next holiday, which is the first and final holiday of the year, New Year's Eve steadily approaches. As 2015 comes to a close, there's so much to look back on! Many memories, opportunities, and experiences gave way to an incredible year bringing you happiness, sadness, fear, and hope. For those who had an amazing year filled with what seemed like enormous blessings and opportunities, it will be a year they won't forget. For those who had a challenging year with friends, family, academics, or themselves, 2015 may be a year they want to forget. Through all the magical memories or the stressful situations, there is hope for each one of us.
For one night of the year, there's a countdown to the new year and to a new person. It happens to everyone, which is the best part! As you stand with your friends, loved ones, or even yourself at home, downtown, a friend's house, or the place where the world counts together, Times Square, there's a brief moment when you feel absolutely nothing and you are completely content. Despite what happened in 2015, you feel excited, nervous, and ready to move on and start anew. Many people start the countdown with 10 seconds left; however, there is an additional second just before the countdown begins where you look back at the year. There are 11 seconds that feel like hours which help push you into the New Year. These are those 11 seconds.
11
You smile at all the people around you and look up for a moment. The air around you feels slightly lighter as you see the clock and hear the people doing a pre-count to 10 seconds. You take a deep breath and rub your hands together to warm up, just a bit nervous for the year ahead. You know some of the new things you're going to do already; however, you stop thinking and forget about the things you have to do. Then you look back at what happened throughout the year...
10
There were so many great things this year! It started off so well and you were happily striding into it. Grades were good, you felt so alive, and all was well in your life. You remember the moments that made it so fantastic, and the warmth of your heart expands in your chest. There were so many things that brought you joy, happiness, success, and love this year. The 10th second reminds you of how good the year was.
9
By now, the rest of the people around you join in on the countdown, or you yourself say it quietly in your head. You look at the tough things that happened in the year. Maybe that test grade could have been better if you pushed yourself more, or you could have earned more money if you found the courage to apply for that summer internship. Whatever the small failures were, they don't matter at this second. It's time to move on, to endure, and continue your journey in life. The ninth second reminds you of small failures, but you've accept them and moved on.
8
The voices get louder as the eighth second arrives. You think back to your successful moments of the year! The fantastic discovery of your major and your new-found passion for it. The interests in majors you want to experience, which bring you closer to what you want to do in life. The person you like said "yes" to the date and you're dating them now (smooth work, my friend). The acceptance of your job application or internship. You smile as you look to the ground and breathe out a sigh of happiness. The eighth second reminds you of your success.
7
Your friends lean on you and you all smile because the year brought you amazing memories. There was that time when you became the "wingman"/"wingwoman" for your friend and helped them get that date. The moment where you all laughed so hard that you fell to the ground crying because one of them said something ridiculous or they chugged a whole carton of orange juice and complained about it or they ran into a lamppost (and it wasn't to be funny, they seriously walked right into it). Then there was the moment you hugged them at the end of the semester and wouldn't see them for a while, or the time they sought you for comfort with tears streaming down their face from a rough experience. Just like the 11 seconds push you into the new year, your friends push you to be you and love the life you live.
6
Many people are shouting as the countdown continues. Your heartbeat is increasing its pace and you cheer with the crowd. All of a sudden, you remember what you've lost this year. A friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, or relative was lost this year and you're still struggling with the loss. You take a deep breath and remember your best moment when you were with this person and look up into the black night sky. Your world will never be the same without this person, but you are not called to mourn in your life. You're called to live it. While you may still mourn over this person in the new year, you accept the loss and feel courage in your heart to carry on and hope to see them again one day. The sixth second reminds you of lost loved ones.
5
Five seconds now lie between you and a new year. All that's happened is over and you feel yourself living in the same moment as everybody else. For a brief second you are in the present and do not feel alone. A cool winter breeze blows upon your face and you feel as if it's only you in this moment, in this place in time. While you feel your friends around you, your loved one in your arms, or the cool winter breeze keeping you company, it's only you. Suddenly you open your eyes and find yourself back with your friends, family, and loved one. The fifth second brings you to the present moment.
4
"Four!" Time now seems to pick up and things are moving fast. However, you look at the near future briefly for the events you know you will experience. You have a summer internship providing you money, you're going to marry your best friend you love dearly, or you're traveling to a new place or your favorite place. Wherever, whatever, or whomever these moments are with, they bring you excitement and hope for fun times in the New Year.
3
The chanting is nearly deafening and your heartbeat is now at a running pace! (Hope everything is alright inside of you and the celebratory energy drinks or alcohol aren't causing this.) You forget all that has happened to you in the past and ignore the fears of the future to come. At this second in time, you are preparing to rejoice with your friends, family, and loved ones. A big smile forms across your face and you join in on the chanting as loud as you can.
2
This is it! It's almost here! Two more seconds and you're in the clear. Everything in the past is behind you. The excitement for the New Year fills your mind and this time is now yours! You begin to look up at the ball in Times Square and words can't describe how you feel.
1
The final second. All fears, doubts, worries, struggles, and pains about this year and the year to come are forgotten. You hug your friends and loved ones tighter around you in preparation to shout in celebration and love all that you are and all that has made you who you are. You let everything go and you are already a new you because you've let it all go and accepted the life you have now. This one, final, and brief moment of happiness and hope is one of few moments in the entire year where you share it with the whole world in different ways. This is it. Everyone shouts, "Happy New Year!" The ball in Times Square drops, you kiss your loved one, confetti falls along with balloons and streamers, fireworks explode in the air, toast to a good year with friends and champagne, and begin to sing "Auld Lang Syne."
Happy New Year!!!
The future brings us all new experiences, some of which we cannot predict, but somehow we feel as if we're ready to take them all on. Whatever life brings us, we must live with it, accept it, love it, and use it as we are called to. Lose that weight you've always wanted to this year, get that job, achieve your desired GPA, ask that girl or guy out on a date, open yourself to faith or rekindle it to grow into a better person, or travel to new places where you can learn, grow and experience new areas of life. Live your life to the fullest (not YOLO). This means never missing a moment. A real moment. A moment that brings you to the last 11 seconds of the year where you can smile and say with open eyes and honest heart, and a satisfied soul, "I did it." Happy New Year, everyone!!! Do what's meant to be done in life... live in it!
