The Roman god Janus had two faces. The god of beginnings and endings, of doorways, of war and peace, Janus looked forwards and backwards. He gave his name to our month January, the gateway between years.
Today, on the cusp of the new year, Janus is someone to mimic. A look back at 2013, a peek at 2014.
I’m glad to say goodbye to December; for me it is a cruel month. Far too many obituaries. I lost each of my wives in a December, both my wife’s parents, my father, and many friends from my childhood.
Goodbye to Christmas, too. For me, happy holiday memories soon morph into longings, longings for the children to be children again on Christmas morning. Longing to be a child once more, myself. Farewell, Santa Claus.
With this forward-looking face, Janus shows us a blank page. Let’s shed our holiday garments and tired old responsibilities. Rev up the energy, charge into a new space.
Those of us of a certain age no longer make New Years resolutions. With age comes that bit of wisdom. But January is a chance to change course, if you will. I am overweight. I view that as a problem that’s correctable. Like Bill Gates, I will formulate the problem and identify a solution. I will continue my walks. I will watch my diet.
Wait a minute! I do that now. What’s wrong? Careful reflection reveals to me that it’s the snacks that do it. Why do I eat when I’m not hungry? When do I snack? Mostly, it’s watching television that brings on the urge for chips.
So, a solution suggests itself. Don’t watch so much TV!
You fine god Janus, let me peer over your shoulder.
Dac Crossley
December 31, 2013
“Each day the world is born anew, For him who takes it rightly.” – James Russell Lowell.