Better Days

Happy New Year, everyone! It's so hard to believe it's already 2011! I've said that to a few people over the past week or so, and I've gotten a similar response from several of them: "Thank God 2010 is over!" I feel like "good riddance" is probably a pretty common sentiment to hear at the end of any year, but it seems like I've heard it a lot more now than in the past. Could it be that 2010 was a particularly treacherous year? Possibly. Could it be that people are just exhausted and tired of trying so hard? Possibly. Could it be true that 2011 will be filled with better days? Possibly. No one knows.

"And you asked me what I want this year,
And I try to make this kind and clear.
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days."

As we enter into the next decade, I can't help but think back to the Goo Goo Dolls song "Better Days." This song is on a playlist that always fills me with inspiration when I'm writing or just mulling over some elusive thoughts. I think it's the perfect song to begin a new year. There's just something about this song that fills me with hope, even if I know that halfway through the year, I'll be wondering where all that hopefulness went. I really do think that 2011 will be better, but only if we keep searching for those better days. As a teacher, I tell my kids, "You find what you're looking for. If you look for the good, you'll see it, and if you look for the bad, you'll see that, too."  If you think about it, this song isn't asking for days that are actually better. It's about the chance for better days. If we drag all our baggage from 2010 with us, how can we expect to have better days? It's time to let go of what holds us back, and it's time to give ourselves the chance for better days.