HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE 2019

It’s fitting that my first column of the 2,000s is my last column of the year! I love symmetry like that.

It’s New Year’s Eve, so you know what that means, right? I’ll give you a second to figure out what I’m going for here. Ready? It means that my birthday is just two weeks from today!!!

Even though I’m not a big fan of getting older, I am a big fan of getting older, if you get my drift. So you know that I’ll be celebrating on January 14.

But let’s all begin the celebrations tonight, with the end of the 2019, which was not a particularly fabulous year. I don’t know why, but these past twelve months have been a tad bit harder than many before. But there are still always things to be grateful for. Here are some of mine, in no particular order, from this past year: I had a lovely trip to New York; Mr. X and I were lucky enough to see lots of fun holiday live shows; I got to spend time with friends this year whom I rarely see otherwise, especially Sheila, Manny, Jill, Lauren, Taylor, Noelle, John, Sharon; I finally finished clearing-out my possessions from New York!; I got to meet, and interview, (and laugh with) the great Ben Vereen; the Raptors won the NBA Championship, showing us that life sometimes is fair; I got to see not one but two Cirque du Soleil productions!; the same thing with Matthew Bourne ballets!; I just celebrated my major milestone 2,000th column the other day!; and, as the great Sondheim song says—just being alive!!!

There is one thing I have to get off my chest tonight. Everyone thinks that this is the end of the decade, which I’m going along with just because…if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. But if you think about it, you’ll realize that 1 through 10 is one decade, 11 through 20 is another decade, and 21 through 30 is another, and so on. So the end of this decade is really not until December 31, 2020. But this is one time I’m not going to fight the masses. So if you want to consider tonight to be the end of the decade, go for it. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t give you one last lesson of the decade year.

Another little lesson to remember is that, with each new year, things can always change, either way. So take stock and appreciate what you have right now. If you don’t like things, there’s a whole new year to change it in. And if you do like everything, try your hardest to hold onto it.

I recently read a pertinent quote from the great ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu. He said, “If you are depressed, you’re living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” Surprisingly, I always do my best to live in the present, but it’s a real struggle for a big regretter and worrier such as myself. I’m definitely planning on trying harder in 2020, but for today and tonight, I am looking to the future–because it will be a brand new year!!!

So, on that note, I wish you all a super Happy New Year! Have fun (even if it’s in your pajamas at home alone,) and be safe tonight. And I hope to see all of you next year! (Which means in a couple of days, of course, after I recover from celebrating at my friend Heidi’s fabulous New Year’s Day PJ Party.)