2023 -2024 And the Songs that never die .

It is the end of another year, the dawn of another day, the start of another age, on the morrow. We leave behind 2023, bid farewell to a tumultuous year, and though anxious, we prepare to walk into the new year with fortitude, and tenacity, as we hope for a better year, 2024 .

There are the usual parties, and festivities, to bring in the New Year, but what with the burgeoning city, and the impossible to navigate traffic, we choose to stay home and say goodbye to our old friend, the year that is leaving us, listening to music from the past, and nursing nothing stronger than a hot chocolate drink.

Reflecting on the year that has gone by, the various instances when we were saved by grace. The difficult times, which were not so difficult, but manageable when we went through it, or the things that did not turn out to be as bad as expected. The joy and happiness that came quite unexpectedly, and above all, the gift of good health, that we enjoyed .Oh the reasons are many, for rejoicing and to be grateful .

The old songs in their perfect tune, played in the background as I reminisced, filling my heart with a longing, that only songs can do. Each note plucked from the deep recess of my mind , memories of a time that can never be mine again, and the melodies of old filled me with a deep sense of nostalgia . They marched past, one by one, their haunting tunes and lyrics, replaying each of those moments, some so still dear to me, and some I wished to bury .

Every tear I cried, every light moment I experienced , even the sound of unbridled laughter, echoed in my ears . Every pain that was, every failure I saw, the thrill of unanticipated victory that came our way. The times of distress, the times of elation, they were all there . It was as if the music brought to life, the memories of those bygone years, both cherished and the not so cherished ones too .

The carefree childhood , the awkward teenage days, the different stages of adulthood, from the fun loving, to the sober and dull . I could feel every smile, I could feel every sadness, I could touch the silver lining behind the dark clouds of sorrow. I could see the celebration at large family gatherings, the cheerful faces of each member, faces fading with the passage of time, and hear their happy voices. Oh how poignant the moments, as they danced before my eyes .

As I stand on the brink of another year, the past seems more real than the future, and now 2024 is here . I recall the predictions and projections for the new year, which is nothing short of bleak. Famines and pestilence, earthquakes, and natural disasters, wars and retribution, and the end is at hand. But I am not alarmed, for looking back at my life I think, bleaker times have I not seen, and if my Lord has carried me through it all, He will surely take me through what lies ahead .