Well, here we are, the dawn of another new year

It seems to me that your chronological age has a definite effect on how you view and celebrate New Year’s. The young with their boundless enthusiasm and seemingly endless tomorrows, are anxious to be rid of the old and rush with carefree abandon to welcome the promise of things yet to be.

Their feelings are expressed in loud music, much food and liquor and parties that continue into the wee hours, while the true believers pack Times Square in New York City to brave the cold and shout themselves hoarse as a lighted globe makes its descent to mark the arrival of yet another year.

In contrast, we Medicare card carriers are not in such a hurry to see the old year end — even if it was not the best of years. For starters, we are all going to be one year older, and added to that, we know and cling to what we have in the present while tomorrow ... well, who knows? Experience has taught us that even with the best of intentions, things will probably not change dramatically.

New Year’s resolutions are seldom kept for long; and especially with the complex and almost overwhelming problems facing our country today, there are no quick fixes that the mere change of date from 2010 to 2011, can bring.

The magazines are filled with articles on re-inventing yourself or starting your next chapter in life; and while I am a firm believer that age should be no barrier to leading a full, productive life, there are no fairy godmothers with magic wands who can turn back the clock.

I believe that for seniors, the New Year is a time to reflect. We need to think about how and when we did not do our best, where perhaps, we failed those we love and how we can do better to continue to lead fuller, more meaningful, lives. While we should look forward with hope and optimism to the years ahead, we are also old enough to realize the gift that each and every day represents.

We have all lost some close friends or family members and are fully aware of both the beauty and frailty of life. Every year represents the opening of a new chapter with new possibilities and that is exciting and wonderful, but in actuality, all we ever have is this very moment — this moment that is passing with each breath we take.

As we greet the New Year, let us remember to live and cherish the moment.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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