SELF-REFLECTIONS/PROMPT
Wrapping Up the Year
What has 2021 taught me?
It’s time for my annual ritual,
wrapping up this year
with a moment for reflection
to decide what to release
so I don’t drag unnecessary mind clutter
with me into the clean slate
of this coming year,
what to celebrate
from these past months
and a moment
to decide
what to deepen
in this coming year.
What do I release?
The need to please
or appease others,
for that no longer works for me.
It drains too much energy
I could use for myself
when I’m busy wondering
about your reactions
to what I say
or think
or do.
Have I become more cynical?
Bitter?
Or simply more realistic,
releasing the need to control
what is out of my control.
This past year,
with its unwanted gift
of isolation,
allowed me to turn the spotlight onto myself,
illuminating a deeper self-awareness,
the need to be kind to myself,
to celebrate myself.
And to celebrate the highlights?
Vacation in a new city
with my routine turned upside down,
sipping Japanese gin in summer sunsets,
playing gin rummy on autumn nights,
greeting my students in person again,
spending time with my boys,
dabbling with new forms of poetry,
expanding my Medium community
and the gift of staying healthy.
What nugget of wisdom
will I carry with me
as I flip the calendar page?
A simple phrase I crafted
to celebrate alliteration:
“Today I will be generous,
gentle and genuine.”
This year fades into memory
even as the next one beckons.
