With the semester ending at B次元 and the Spring 2017 semester soon to begin in mid-January, with the year 2016 about to come to close on December 31 and 2017 to begin, and with the past behind us and the future ahead of us, I have the tune to the familiar New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne echoing in my head.
Now, we have all heard this popular New Year鈥檚 song, but the meaning is not easy to grasp, especially since the words 鈥渁uld lang syne鈥 are from an old Scottish phrase! As a matter of fact, at the end of the movie When Harry Met Sally, Billy Crystal鈥檚 character asks Meg Ryan鈥檚 character what exactly the song means. .
Thanks to the power of Google, finding the history and meaning of the song is now easy. to a set of documents from The Morgan Library and Museum in New York City that offers about as much information on Auld Lang Syne as anyone could possible want.
Most importantly, the words 鈥渁uld lang syne鈥 mean 鈥渙ld long since鈥 and have been updated into modern English to mean 鈥渢ime gone by鈥 or 鈥渙ld time鈥檚 sake鈥 which fits well with the word 鈥渇or鈥: for old time鈥檚 sake.
Indeed, as one year ends and another begins, we all look back at what has happened, both the good and the bad. Hopefully, we can learn from the past and take that knowledge and experience into the future. As the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley reminds us: 鈥淭he simplest and most practical lesson I know鈥s to resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow. Let us take one day only in hands, at a time, merely making a resolve for tomorrow . . .鈥
For you, my dear readers, I have some thoughts and wishes for the New Year of 2017:
May you use the past as a foundation to build today and tomorrow, not as an anchor to pull you down.
May hope always be in your heart.
May you remember old friends and make many new ones.
May laughter be a part of every day for you.
And may 2017 be a year filled with God鈥檚 blessings for you.
Until next time . . .
Anne