New Year, Old Resolutions

As we approach the final days of the first quarter of this millennium, many of us might revisit past resolutions. The unanswered questions from the previous year. The relationships that faded away without resolution. The decisions left unmade. The arrival of 2026 serves as a clear reminder that life continues to progress. The passage of time, with its steady ticking of hours and unfolding events,

I have always appreciated the German term "Altjahresabend," which means the evening of the old year. It may be connected to "Auld Lang Syne," the folk song popularized by Robert Burns around 1788. This traditional farewell song reflects both moments of friendship and the chronological event marking the year's end.

What should we reflect on during an Altjahresabend? We reminisce and gather with loved ones to celebrate the year's achievements. We bid farewell to the old year with parties and fireworks, hoping the coming year will be better. If "better" means more possessions and experiences, we might be setting ourselves up for disappointment. More of the same does not necessarily improve the status quo; it's simply more of the same.

The kairos moment of an Altjahresabend may lie in the increasing urgency of old resolutions that demand completion. It is the perfect time to consider decisions and tasks you've postponed for a year—the will you haven't finalized, the care decisions you've been avoiding, and the necessary downsizing of your living space to a manageable size as the stairs seem longer and more daunting.

At https://www.thoughtfuldying.com/, we serve as your sounding board as you contemplate the care decisions you need to make for yourself this year. We assist you in considering the completion of advance directive documents or a living will, in case your health significantly declines this year. We would be delighted to provide you with the chance to think through worst-case scenarios at the end of life, ensuring you are prepared to handle them if they occur.

As New Year's and old resolutions continue into the future, we aim to assist you in facing them with greater ease, a clearer understanding of illness and life's end, and a more Stoic perspective on death. This approach suggests that death can teach us to live purposefully, joyfully, and wisely.

We wish you a healthy, and peaceful, and wise 2026. As always, please be kind to yourself and take good care of each other.

Sylvia Klauser, PhD