Every Day is New Year's Day

You know how it is when you get a song stuck in your head. It replays methodically, often with songs you don’t even like, and stays ingrained there until you either pass it off to someone else or can replace it with another. This has been the case frequently during the Christmas season as there were loudspeakers blasting music into the Piazza del Popolo and surrounding streets. Not charming music, mind you, but American disco tunes sprinkled with a smattering of Christmas standbys. It was rather annoying.

But come New Year’s Day I exorcised the grating strains of George Michael’s “last Christmas I gave you my heart…”, which had unwillingly infiltrated my brain, with a more pleasant tune, Carolyn Arends’ Every Day is New Year’s Day. It has a catchy melody and is sort of an anthem song. I also like the simple, sensible lyrics.

I buy a lot of diaries /Fill them full of good intentions /Each and every New Year's Eve /I make myself a list /All the things I'm gonna change /Until January 2nd /So this time I'm making one promise
Chorus: This will be my resolution Every day is New Year's Day This will be my resolution Every day is New Year's Day
I believe it's possible /I believe in new beginnings/ 'Cause I believe in Christmas Day And Easter morning too /And I'm convinced it's doable /'Cause I believe in second chances /Just the way that I believe in you
This will be my resolution/ Every day is New Year's Day /This could start a revolution/ Every day is...
One more chance to start all over/ One more chance to change and grow/ One more chance to grab a hold of grace And never let it go
Repeat chorus
(Listen online here)

I found it uplifting and motivating, and had been happily humming it for about a week when we received a card from Bryan’s cousin offering us New Year wishes with the message, “Seize the year”, which she highlighted and wrote, “This seems to be your motto!” How true! And that set off a new song in my head, also by Carolyn Arends. Clearly it was time to dig out the CD and give it a replay. The other meaningful song: Seize the Day. (Seize the day, seize whatever you can/For life slips away just like hourglass sand/Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand/And nothing will stand in your way/Seize the day. Well one thing I've noticed, wherever I wander/ Everyone's got a dream he can follow or squander/ You can do what you will with the days you are given/ I'm trying to spend mine on the business of living...) It seemed apropos and befitting the season of the year and this season of our lives.

Together these two songs are going to be the soundtrack for my year, reminders to live each day fully and gratefully, to love, and to embrace every opportunity. What is your life’s soundtrack this year? I hope that you will seize the year, and that each day be New Year’s Day for you, too.

copyright 2007 Valerie Schneider