the passage of time

The corned beef and cabbage will be ready by 3:00 p.m. 🎉

This will leave ample time for relaxing before early to bed. 

I have seen the Ball drop in New York too many times to remember, watching the clock cross midnight into the new year, but as Dawn breaks, the first day of the year generally looks not unlike the day before. 

I tend to get annoyed with people who see Christmas as a day, and not a season. We are in fact only halfway through the season at New Year's. I like to hold off until Epiphany before I take decorations down, and begin the countdown to spring.

All of these winter rituals are intended to lead us through reflection and introspection, and to set hopes for the new year. But all of these things take time, time to explore, and time to process. 

This year felt very untraditional, with the holidays falling on Wednesdays.  Many were working the day before and after, and everything was done with a rush, rather than a hush.