In Roman mythology, the two-faced Janus was the god of doorways and gates. Those ancients envisioned one face guarding the home from outside evils while the other kept watch over the family and servants inside. Janus was also the deity of beginnings and endings, looking simultaneously into the future and backward into the past.
Although the Roman calendar began with March, it’s fitting that our new year kicks off in a month named for this god of transitions. Come Jan. 1, 2024, many of us will resolve to make changes in our lives, such as losing weight, saving money, or exercising more.
A Backward Glance
The new year offers the perfect moment to pause and recollect our past, both the people and events of 2023 as well as those of more distant times. Like Janus or that more modern icon, the white-bearded Father Time, who with his scythe and hourglass used to appear with Baby New Year in greeting cards and magazine advertisements, we can look over our shoulders to assess where we’ve been and what we’ve done.Sharing
Artists have long depicted Father Time as leaving behind advice and wisdom for Baby New Year in his diaper and top hat, and we have the chance to do the same.Some of the memories we glean from our past may delight or enlighten friends and family. When we tell the grandkids, for instance, about the time their dad won the high school basketball game with two free throws and no time left on the clock, describing the drama that filled the gym that evening, we’re giving them a picture of their father that they’ll carry for the rest of their lives. When we share with our niece the mistakes we made when we owned a bookshop, she’s learning about pitfalls to avoid when she opens her retro-fashion store.
Pledges and Dreams Renewed
New Year’s resolutions bring to mind Tennyson’s line “Ring out the old, ring in the new.” We’re ditching the Big Mac and fries for a lunch of fruit and cheese. We’re saying goodbye to those evenings spent channel-surfing on the sofa and hello to the fitness center.
But if we’ve given some thought to the past, especially to our lives in 2023, we might also decide to make resolutions of recommitment. We might pledge to bring some fresh energy to our work. If we’re married, whether for two, 10, or 20 years, we might polish up those wedding vows and bring some sparkle back into the relationship, spending more time together in the evenings or leaving our spouse a love note now and then. We could do the same for that teenager from whom we’re feeling separated.
In the past few years, several people I’ve known have fallen out with family members or friends. Maybe now is the time to try and restore that relationship, to make amends and repair the breach. Or perhaps now is the time to retrieve some dream or ambition, dust-covered and long in the attic, bring it into the light of day, and consider its possibilities.
Remembering who we are, building relationships, and honoring both the old and new vows and dreams of our lives—these are the ingredients for a happy new year.
