“When We Were Young”
When we were young we certainly appreciated this day, but I think we took it for granted.
Holiday was a refuge from the teenage angst. And that mattered a lot to us.
Today matters. It matters because we made it matter. Holiday was a deliberate choice to make things better; to mend friendships, to celebrate loved ones, to put meaning into a world devoid of it. That is what makes today special to me. We choose to come together, no one dictates, there’s no obligation. I am so happy that we chose to be here. I am so happy that we chose to continue to grow and evolve this special day. I am happy that after everything that’s happened that we’re still here. There have been times where I’ve doubted my ability to keep the tradition going, and there are times I’ve fallen short. But your presence inspires me. Equally inspiring is absence. - that’s why we even celebrate Elijah’s empty chair. The folks that can’t be here, we feel their absence and we shall toast to them. And even the folks who could, there is always a seat at the table, there is hope that more will join us in our celebration. Hopefully Londa can reinforce this with the ceremonial squashing of beef, but there is no venom today, there’s only love and appreciation for what we’ve done, who we are, and where we will go.
Who we are. Who are we. An important holiday to me is New Years because my brain holds me underwater until I adequately think about who I am versus who I want to be. And because Holiday is all holidays, I thought about who I am for a bit leading up to today. Just as you chose to be here, you can choose who are - might be a bit of a hike, there might be some bumpy roads, but there’s happiness at the end. And because we can choose ourselves, we can choose to better. And my apologies to the folks that have heard this one, but 2019 is untethered, unbound, unchained, and unhinged. And Holiday will be a new peak. So let’s be our best selves.
Let’s also not forget the past. I remember probably too much. We’ve got a lean and eager squad here today, but it wasn’t long ago we were still pouring 30 some-odd people into an apartment. Times change. The venue is different, the size and scope are different. I just hope that we don’t lose the magic of this day by becoming old(er) or complacent(er). This matters, the past matters, the present matters, and the future matters.
Where will we go in the future? I’ve seen the future but I don’t know what’s going to happen. If you think about last year versus this year, a lot has changed. And I’m sure next year will be no different. Will it be here or at home or elsewhere? I don’t even know where home is. But for one day we’ll find someplace to be home. And we’ll come home for Holiday.