And so here I sit on New Years Eve 2014 feeling a bit sad because I have no big plans to ring in the new year. But yet content to just be hanging out at home. It is strange to have both feelings but I do. I wish I had something exciting to do but yet am glad to be safe in my warm home on this cold night. So, as I sit here thinking about the holiday I recall some of the past New Year's Eve's in my life.
I don't remember much of what I did before I reached adulthood. I do remember that my mom and I spent many New Year's Eve nights watching Rockin New Year's Eve with Dick Clark and then we would watch the ball drop. Those are very fond memories of great times spent with my mom.
One year when I was either 18 or 19 years old I went to a New Years Eve sledding party. It was with my cousins and a bunch of friends. I think that is one of the most fun times I ever had ringing in the new year. It was cold but we had a fire and hot chocolate.
The following year I spent with a good friend, her mom and some other teen friends. We watched movies and made crank phone calls. We had so much fun. We did not drink, it was not that kind of party. It was just a fun time. It is a fond memory for me because that was the last year I spent with my friends mom who was also my moms best friend and a good friend to me too. She died in a car wreck that following summer.
The first year I was married my then husband and I spent New Years Eve bowling. We bowled on league and the alley had a special party. It was a lot of fun. We had games and contests and yes drinks. I didn't get as drunk as my husband but I did drink then.
Later years we really didn't do anything for New Year's Eve, I did not like how trashed my ex got and I also no longer drank at all so being around a bunch of drunk people was not for me. So, we rang in the new year with my ex husband passed out and I would watch the ball drop alone. I did call my mom as it dropped so that I was not completely alone.
After we had kids it was a few years until we celebrated the holiday. When the kids were around two and five years old my husbands cousin, his wife and kids would come over for dinner, then we would pay games until the wee hours of the night.We laughed very hard as we played Pictionary and many other games. It was a lot of fun. The kids had fun too, they got to stay up late and we all counted down when it was time for the new year. My ex is the only one who got totally trashed but I had the others to enjoy. Those are some of the fondest memories I have of New Year's Eve with my ex husband.
After my divorce my boys and I would sometimes be up together to ring in the new year. There were several times we watched the ball drop and we also played games many times. Then there were times when they went to bed and I watched the ball drop alone. It is all good, I still called my mom to tell her Happy New Year.
After my kids hit their teen years none of us did much until this year. My oldest son is spending the holiday with his girlfriend and their room mates. I am glad they get to do that but am sad that I am here alone with their baby writing. I love to write and I love spending time with the baby, but it would be more fun playing games with friends. My youngest son is at work but I am sure will not want to spend the evening with his mom. I miss being able to have fun on the holiday but it is what it is.
My dream New Year's Eve celebration though is to someday watch the ball drop in Time Square. It will never happen but I can dream.
