For plenty of good things in life, it’s actually enough. Catching up with our neighbors, for example. We live in a big apartment building. Few people know each other really well. Folks move in and out all the time. But once a year, the community hosts a mini Christmas market right outside our house. It’s perfect!
Cheap mulled wine. Grilled sausages. And a catch-up. “Is your mother still in Venetia?” “When’s your wedding?” We chatted for a good two hours. What happened throughout the year. New building plans in our area. Which restaurants are a must-try. And then, we went our separate ways.
I have this running joke with an old friend. Every time we meet, I say, “See you next year!” when we part. And almost every time, it turns out to be correct. It used to make me a little sad. Now, I’ve accepted it. It’s okay, you know? What an achievement if you have 5, 10, perhaps even 20 friends whom you see every year! Isn’t that enough?
Your favorite restaurant. A holiday spot you like visiting again and again. That timeless movie or old connection you long to spend more time with. If once a year is all you get, then once a year is how you make the most of it. And who knows? Perhaps it’s because you only experience it once a year that it’s still special after all this time.
Don’t turn special into ordinary. Presence is most keenly felt in absence—and what greater presents to receive than the ones we look forward to all year?
