Wednesday Wisdom: New Year’s Eve Edition – The Open Door

The 365th day of the year is like having one foot through an open door, the other still behind in the space they both stood in. What’s through the new open door, our entire body and mind wonder?

As I was playing hide-and-seek with my granddaughter on Christmas weekend, we ran down a long hallway with wooden doors leading to apartments on either side. Some of the doors were decorated; others weren’t. Some had barking dogs behind them; others were silent. Culinary odors poured out from under some doors, with different culinary odors seeping out of others.

The more times we played hide-and-seek, the more curious I became about what lay behind each apartment door. What would be inside if I knocked on the door and it was open? Who would greet me? A single person? Someone young or old? Would there be kids? What would their apartment look like? What traditional holiday keepsakes would be there? Would they have food, a TV, or nothing much?

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are like those doors in some way. We already know what was behind the doors we opened in 2025, leading us to new people and experiences. The experiences behind some of those doors were excellent, and others were horrendous. Others were average, daily experiences, like most of the time. But if we stop before the clock shifts, we can gather the good images of those people and activities in 2025 and be thankful for them.

When the Times Square ball drops into 2026, it opens a new imaginary door to a year with even more people, experiences, challenges, joys, and opportunities. The thing is, we don’t have to wait for someone or something to open up a new door for us; we can do it all by ourselves if we are daring enough to see what and who is on the other side.

My wish for you on December 31 is to look back at your year, experiences, events, people, and even opportunities you missed and take note. Then, with awe and anticipation, walk through the door on January 1 into planned and unexpected events, and with people who may color your life differently, and those who bring you constant joy and comfort.

It is up to you to amble through your own door and see what’s behind it, hopefully with excitement and not trepidation. The power to open up each door is totally up to you. Choose as many or as few as you desire. Hopefully, each new door has a blessing for you behind it.