The ghost of New Years Past

[Yes, that's grammatically correct: The ghost of past New Years (pl)]

I can't actually remember the way I've spent very many New Year's Eves, but there are a few that sure stand out in my mind. While I'm waiting for my dad to finish installing a new light fixture so that we can play games, I thought I'd reminisce about these evenings past.

When I was little, living in L.A., we had New Year's Eve celebrations at our church. I remember going once and playing a game that had a lot of balloons. But that's about all I can remember. I do remember when we lived at UCLA student housing on Sawtelle Blvd (between 1986 and 1989) that we brought in the new year with Martinelli's, and we listened to the popping of firecrackers. I remember loving the bubbles in my drink. Who needs champagne when you can drink Martinelli's?

For the New Year in 1998, I spent an evening at our neighbours the Kirschners' house. Our families all had dinner together, and I stayed--along with an Australian medical student--to watch a movie. Maybe it was It's a Wonderful Life. We also played some game I can't recall and ate lots of Christmas cookies.

One of my absolute favourites, though, was New Year's Eve 2000. I was at the Urbana '00 convention in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. It was below zero outside, with piles of snow on the ground. But inside the stadium 19,000 of us were worshipping together, singing Christmas carols, and partaking in holy communion. I prayed for Nigeria that night, and God was in our midst. There is nothing more awesome than that.

New Year's Eve 2002, I went to a party with my roommate Heather two suburbs away. I didn't really know anyone, and it wasn't a particularly fabulous party. I was pretty bored as I watched the others eat pâté on crackers, drink their wine, and talk about philosophy. It was after two when Heather was ready to go home, and she offered to drive, having drunk two glasses of red wine. I gently told her that no, it was okay, I would drive her home. After I told her good night, I wrote out a will in my car before continuing on home. I was so paranoid that I'd get hit and killed by an idiotic drunk driver before I reached home! Okay, so that was pretty ridiculous, but it was there on the seat beside me just in case!

It was either the next year or 2004 when I enjoyed a party at my sister Lisa's house with her friends Rachel et al. She happens to be cursed--or blessed?--with a birthday on New Year's Eve, so it generally does not get nearly as much attention as it deserves. That year though, we did plan a party, and we played Cranium until late in the night. We were goofy and had a great time!

And perhaps the worst New Year's I can remember is New Year's Eve 2005. I was living in San Diego and had agreed to housesit for my friends from church. It was a lovely chance to get out of my own home for a few days, and to enjoy their two cats (and their selection of movies!). It was peaceful and quiet. I'd invited my friend Jen over to play games or watch a movie with me. Sometime in the afternoon, as I was watching Star Wars (I'd had the idea of having a marathon that day), my dad called from Nigeria. He told me that the four-year-old son of some fellow missionaries had drowned that day. I didn't actually know the little boy, but it was still devastating news. I didn't feel much like partying after that. So when Jen called to say that she'd been invited to another party, did I want to come? I said I'd rather stay home, thanks. I didn't know any of those folks anyway. Just after Jen called, I got a prayer-chain message on the answering machine where I was staying. Someone in the church--not knowing that the home-owners had traveled--asked us to pray for a young man in the church, Bryce, who had fallen off a ladder and broken his wrist rather badly. He needed surgery right away. So i prayed for Bryce, and for the missionary family in Nigeria, and I just wallowed in self-pity as the minutes rolled over to 2006.

This year, we're hoping to play games. Luke's watching Peter Pan, and Timothy's in bed. It's a relief and a joy to be with my family, warm and safe, celebrating the end of another full and wonderful year, ready to welcome the start of a brand-new one. Here's to New Years past, and to New Years of the future!