A new year is a new beginning. It is a fresh, clean canvas. It is unmarred by blemishes or errors. It is empty.
Really, this blank slate of a new year is void of one of the most valuable parts of life … memories.
If today, January fifth two thousand and twelve, I were to say, “what is your favorite memory of 2012?” you might say something about a New Years kiss (unless, that is, you fell asleep before the clock struck twelve), or a fantastic New Years day football game outcome (but you probably would NOT be too excited about the outcome of the World Junior Hockey Championship, if you are from North America).
Memories are the icing on the cake of life. It is our memories that help define our past, and help to focus where we wish our future to go. It is our negative memories that become our nightmares, and our positive memories that become our daydreams. Our memories keep places, experiences and people of the past alive.
It is in the next fifty-one weeks that we will live and make memories. Memories for ourselves, and memories for those we love and memories for those whose lives intersect our own. We will make good memories and bad, happy and sad, joyous and regrettable. Some will be spontaneous, and others will be intentionally planned.
This year is still fresh, still unwritten, still void of memories. Lets commit this year to being intentional about making memories that are good, for yourself and for others.