December means that 2008 is soon over and 2009 begins. Every year, I push to the end and do not really take a deep enough breathe to begin again..being out of breath has actually become part of the New Year’s experience. This year has been rather stunning. With Barack Obama being elected, I feel that the whole country took a great leep into a better future. I am also hopeful for the unknown…the known is more frightening.

Historically, I have had many endings and many new beginnings. Sometimes the endings have been organic, expected, and for good or justified reasons. Other times, they have left me holding a bag of unfulfilled expectations. Age seems to have given me more confidence in my ability to move past the unexpected.

When I look at everything going on, specifically the continuing economic fallout from the various financial binges, I think that this is a “bottom,” the kind that AA describes as incomprehensible demoralization. What I know about “bottoms” is that they are good; they are, if authentic, a new beginning, one that can be profound enough to prevent a rerun of previous binges. The challenge, however, is that for every single alcoholic, 7 to 11 people are impacted. In the case of this financial fiasco, it is 7 to 11 other industries, communities, whole social sectors, and, all told, everyone.

Again, I am hopeful. I hope that this current series of crises force a re-prioritization of values, a re-look at what matters.

This holiday season, we have foregone all gifts in favor of donations to charitable local services and gift-certificates of personal time, dinners at home, back rubs, and good jokes. I think that this could be the best holiday season of all. Imagine not having to unwrap gifts that you know you don’t need; throw away what feels like miles of wrapping paper whose life was only to wrap the unneeded gift. Imagine being able to look forward to the day the gift certificate is cashed and an evening is spent making dinner for someone(s) we adore. 2009 could be a stunning year. I am looking forward to it.