"We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us." Thomas Merton

The last days of the year have a wonderful ease to them. For many of us, this is a natural time for reflection about the closing year and what we hope for the one to come. The gifts of this ritual are a lot like cleaning out the garage. All year long we've stacked up the things we didn't have the time to properly put away, telling ourselves 'we'll get to it' later. By now, there is hardly room for the car. And while we dread the cleaning out, when the Saturday arrives and we finally tackle the heaps, it turns out to be an energizing experience. We discover events we thought would be so important, really weren't in the end and how ones that seemed insignificant, became profound. By gently and purposefully remembering, we honor the hurtful times so we can integrate them in a way that helps them heal and allow the tender and joyous memories to restore us. Sorting through the past year increases our discernment and wisdom and creates an opportunity to see where we have or haven't grown and changed. We gain perspective about life and our place in it. But perhaps one of the greatest gifts is afterwards when we experience the same sense of completion and accomplishment about our lives that we have when we survey our clean swept garage. We are ready for a fresh start.