Reflecting on Another Year

There are special moments in one's life that leave a distinct imprint lasting well beyond the fleeting moment itself. These are moments we carry with us in the stories we share with friends or the daydreams that percolate to consciousness when our mind is allowed to wander. What are your most cherished moments? What are the moments you count on to reliably produce a stirring of emotion when you otherwise feel lonely and vacant? What are the moments that come to you now as you read these words?

What are your most cherished moments?

Some moments are grand, such as the birth of a child, the look of your spouse from the other end of the aisle on your wedding day, or the applause from loved ones as you are handed a well earned diploma. Others, perhaps not as grand though certainly as equally formative,  may dominate the landscape of your daydreams. Is it the memory of being held by someone who knows you and loves you when you a feeling despair? Or is it maybe your daughter running down the stairs to hug you goodbye as you begrudgingly embark on a day of work away from those you love most? Sometimes it may be that moment on the court or field when your teammates cheer as they are impressed by your endurance and skill. 

It is with this spirit that some of us last week sang the words to the old Scottish poem,

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

It's these types of moments that conjure themselves to my mind as I reflect on this past year. I am impressed with how, for me at least, it seems that the most tangible moments are those of intense interpersonal connectedness with another mind that I care about deeply. It's this connectedness that fills a void that I, and probably all of us, carry. Jesus understood our need for unity with each other when he prayed, 

that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

My hope for this New Year is that it be full of moments leaving us feeling understood and loved by one another.