I didn’t expect to write something tonight–I’ve delved way too deep into a bottle of Bordeaux. However, as I’m busy preparing my New Year’s Eve dinner, table for one, something hit me. I thought it was important enough to stop and share it with you tonight. (Writer’s caution: There may be a few more typos and grammatical errors than usual in tonight’s post. I hope you’ll forgive me–blame the Bordeaux.)
I have been binge-watching “Bridgerton” on Netflix, while speaking and texting with friends from around the world. Never before has there been a year where we all seem to be aligned in a common objective: 2020 – GTFO…Ciao..Move on! There’s even an Italian hashtag, #Vaffanculo2020. It’s quite the thing on Twitter and Instagram. It simply means, 2020 – Go F-yourself, F-off, or simply, F-you. Well, I don’t blame the world or the italiani for this. It’s time to tell 2020 to go in the most forceful way one can imagine. We need a collective swell of energy to send off this year and all of its costs: loss, disruption, separation and divisiveness. The entire world has paid a price this year.
As you can see, the clock on my oven reads 20:09, or 8:09 p.m. It’s time to start my New Year’s Eve dinner, table for one. I can’t even count on Sofia to accompany me to Chez Moi tonight. She is fast asleep on her bed, but I think she has also decided that she wants 2020 to GTFO. She’ll wake up tomorrow to 2021 and be hopeful like all of us.
What I am thinking about tonight is the importance of connection with others. If I have learned anything this year, it is how fragile our souls are without the daily interaction of those that are close to us or the strangers that are sprinkled in for excitement. Those interactions bring us something unique: the importance of maintaining life-long friendships and family bonds, the other with the need to be continually connected to new ideas, cultures and people that increase our understanding.
Lately, I have been mourning the loss of connections with people. So much of my happiness comes from the interactions I have when I travel and meet complete strangers. These are people in the streets, cafes, bars or restaurants. Many times, it’s just people in the park while walking Sofia. They all make meaning of a crazy world, and they keep me wondering what else is out there to be discovered–all that is unknown, new and strange.
I do believe you should end the year, as you would like the new year to begin. So tonight, I am making it as special as possible. I’m cooking a great meal and practicing loads of self-care and gratefulness.
I found my favorite pasta (spaghetti alla chitarra – or guitar strings), clams, wine, and loads of garlic. This is classic spaghetti alla vongole. It’s one of my favorite meals, and I refuse to let-up on the garlic. Let’s face it, nobody is smelling my breath in the morning. I’m going all-in on the aglio. If anyone gets near me the next few days, they’ll know exactly what I have been up to with one whiff. I hope Sofia can stick around for the aftermath.
The point is, if you are alone tonight having your own table for one or maybe settling for a quiet night with your children, partner, or family members…it’s ok. Go all-in on whatever it is you are doing–even if you would have chosen something different.
End this year as you would begin the next. Be present…be real…be grateful.
The next year is coming, and with it, a renewed opportunity to start something new and different, or double-down on staying the present course. Either way – it’s ok. However, just remember to stay connected. Stay connected to yourself first, then seek out connections with those that need it the most or the ones that you need the most. There will be a lot of need in 2021. We can fill that need.
If you have lost someone important to you in 2020, I send you all the love that I can muster. If you have lost yourself in 2020, I send you all of the hope to start again. Whatever you lost or gained in 2020, the scoreboard is about to reset to “0”, and we get to do this all over again.
In the end, we are all living a table-for-one life. We get to choose who occupies the seats around us and what we feast upon.
I wish you a feast of joy, gratefulness, discovery and love. (And a hefty amount of aglio.)
Baci e abbracci!
Luke