On the eve of the new year, I wrote about how it is only the lone individual trying to pull together the universe and time and their own life. While it might be true that time and life and universe do not necessarily try to fit into each others’ constraints, the next time I start babbling so about the unsupported brave enormity of human effort, please remind me gently that it is a sign that I am losing something precious and need a re-fill, or that I am leaning on the side of stupid. Which the universe ever so lovingly and gently did remind me.
31st Dec was slated to be a completely uneventful day, with us having returned from our vacation trip late night on 30th. Unless one would count attempting to re-stock the fridge in a complete market shut-down scenario event. Right after brunch, we received a call from one of our friends that they, the lovely couple and their little baby, would like to come over. None of the ‘tomorrow’/ ‘but we are out of food’/’the home is certainly not baby-clean at the moment’ worked- they were coming. They would bring the food. “Or just make some tea,” said my friend. “But..” I said. “Oh God, I will bring milk if you are out of milk,” she said. I cannot emphasize how unlikely such a scenario is, if one lives anywhere in the west. And I cannot emphasize how I glad I am that it happened.
What was scheduled to be a post-brunch tea get-together extended right till mid-night (also not usual). We managed to create several rounds of food from minimal ingredients (credits to innovation of Dear Husband). The little baby got fussy and our friends had to start to leave before we could celebrate the mid-night strike of the new year. What a shame to miss it by a few minutes, we thought. As we walked to the tram stop together, the weather was mild and breezy, unlike anything one might expect on a December night in the middle of winter. It was a beautiful night- the entire atmosphere was charged with the sound of fireworks, and they erupted in fantastic colours all across the sky. As soon as I looked at my phone I realized it was 10 seconds to 12:00 am. We counted down to 12:00, and felt like one of the numerous fireworks when we ourselves erupted into hugs and wishes at the strike of the new year.
Having sent off our guests, we walked into a secluded green area. With moonlight upon us, we could see hundreds of fireworks in the distance in every direction across the horizon. It is something else, a kind of lively peace- to watch the noise of the city from a distance. As we were heading back home with that quiet sense of liveliness, it started to rain! One would imagine rain on December night to freeze one to the bone, but it felt most pleasant.
“So we head into the new year purified by fire and water,” remarked Dear Husband. And so it felt. Nothing dramatic, but a gentle nudge by the universe saying- ‘There are but a few moments that allow one to take a step back and feel like a fresh new start. Take them.’ I think I will.
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