Live and Let Live

2013 is about to come to a screeching halt (whoops, I mean - it is about to gently roll over into 2014). New Years' Resolutions abound for all of us, and since this is the third of four "New Years" in the past twelve months, resolutions seem mut at this point.

Four "New Years"? Let me explain .... 

1. The academic calendar will always signify a New Year to me, no matter what kind of job(s) I am doing. Opera companies tend to often revolve around the academic calendar. So, September 1st is a New Year, celebrated by barbecues, no more white shoes, and back-to-school sales.

2. Zheng and I got married on October 26th, so that is a New Year for our marriage, to be rolled-over every October 26th. 

3. The actual Julian Calendar (the one that Westerners observe). The occasion for New Year's Rockin' Eve, champagne, games, and gatherings with friends.

4. Chinese New Year. I am as excited about this as about some aspects of wedding planning. By marrying someone who is Chinese, it gives us another excuse to party! Chinese New Year this year is January 31st. We are ending the Year of the Snake and ringing in the Year of the Horse. 

Zheng and I have been reading up on different traditions about this holiday. Different factions of Chinese speakers (Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China by province, Taiwan, Malaysia, different Chinatowns throughout the world) have different ways of ringing in the New Year. We are planning a great celebration, so stay tuned! 

For a "resolution," I resolve (for this New Year) to "live and let live." No more questions about why people do certain things, and then no more yielding to the judgement that follows. No more questions about why my cats sleep in my parents' artificial plants, or why my husband insists on constant slipper-wearing inside the house. And this extends to myself - no more judgement on why I do what I do, or why I feel what I feel. I should learn to accept anything in its moment, and then make a decision on how to react that is best. I resolve to trust God with so many of the other details, and to proceed one step at a time.

Happy New Year! What are your resolutions?

PHOTO: Panda, sound asleep in my parents' plants!