Happy New Year

Few hours from now, we'll be bidding 2007 goodbye...

New Year.

I remember how New Year's Eve is just as exciting as our Christmas Eves...it's a double celebration actually to us as we also celebrate my Mama's birthday on the 31st.

And just as during Christmas, I have my moments during this time - a feeling of sadness like I'm bidding a loved one goodbye...

New Year Memories...

How I will surely miss how we jump as midnight ticks (hoping that could still add some centimeters to my height!), how we light our "pasirit" (you know, those gray thing on walis-ting-ting sticks?) and bang our "kalderos"! How we shout counting down along with Bombo Radyo (we do it with Bombo, really, every year as long as I can remember!). How we dance to loud music and sing our hearts out 'til we all get tired until dawn, that is! while finishing our pancit, pan and Pepsi (yeah, same menu during Paskwa but usually with some cake from Cakestop since it's mama's birthday!). Of course, we have our fruit basket! - consists mostly of fruits bought by piece (yep! isa-isa lng, iban aman pa!) or better yet, ayo from neighbors! ;) And how, I remember always feeling happy whenever we have grapes! Nevermind, if it's only 1/8 kilo...as long as we have grapes, that's it!

New Year at home. I wonder when we will have this occasion celebrated together again.

Oh well...hey! As I've written above, we always do our countdown with Bombo. One more thing I miss is hearing ABBA's song "Happy New Year" played over and over again as the announcer speaks his greetings! Let me share to you this song - (okay, take out those tissues now!).




2007.

It may had been not the best year, but certainly, it wasn't the worst.

Thank you for the memories, the friends we made during this year we hope to last; for the experiences we hope to learn our lessons and become better persons; for a lost opportunity that will hopefully, open us to better ones...and for rediscovering my blog site! ;)

2008.

May it become a brighter new year for us and our loved ones...A new beginning that brings new hope...May GOD continue to bless us as we offer HIM the failures of the past and our hopes for this New Year!

Lord, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will live every moment for You.

And as I end this entry (my last for 2007), let me share with you this New Year Prayer from my Inbox (thank you, Mr. Wilver!)...

NEW YEAR PRAYER

God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You.
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.

Give us patience and grace to endure
And a stronger faith so we feel secure.
Instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.

Freely forgiving for some offense
And finding each day a rich recompense.
In offering a friendly, helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand;

That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach an unreachable star.
For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad

Are asking today; Is life worth living?
The answer is only in, loving and giving.
For only Love can make man kind
And Kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind.

By giving love, we can start this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear.

Author- Helen Steiner Rice

(Just a note: I'm actually writing this on December 31, 2007, 11:09am UAE time!)