The Gate of the Year

We’re at the end of not just a year, but the first decade of the century, ready to move into a new year and a new decade.

The last year or so has been a difficult one for lots of people, not just because of economic problems but there is the sadness due to loss of lives of troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was reminded of the dark period at the end of 1939 when the Second World War had started in Europe. However dark things seem to get these days, I can’t begin to imagine what people felt like in that terrible time.

Seventy years ago, King George V1 made his Christmas broadcast as usual and at the end he used the first part of this inspirational poem, commonly known as At the Gate of the Year. However it’s correct title is God Knows:

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year

'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'

And he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God

That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'

So I went forth and finding the Hand of God,

Trod gladly into the night.

And He led me towards the hills

And the breaking of day in the lone East.

The second, lesser known and not quite so inspirational part of the poem continues with:

So heart be still:
What need our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth his intention.

God knows, His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim,
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature: In Him
All time hath full provision.

Then rest; until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our minds shall fill.

The poem was written by Minnie Louise Haskins who is often thought to be American. However she was English, a grocer's daughter, brought up at Warmley, Bristol. She studied at London School of Economics and eventually taught in the social science department there until 1944.

The poem had been drawn to the King's attention by Queen Elizabeth, the present Queen's mother, and the lines were to be recited 63 years later at her own funeral.

Now there are two lessons I take from this:

1. I don't believe everything I read on the Internet. I like to check the source out.

2. No matter how bad things seem, who knows what the breaking of the day will bring. Tomorrow is another day, fresh, clean and untouched. It's down to me to help shape it.

Whatever the year ahead holds for us all, I hope it is a healthy and a happy one for you and your family. As my Dad used to say at New Year, "Here's wishing you everything you'd wish yourself!" Have a wonderful year in 2010.

Post 139

Happy New Year 2009

I always feel a bit sad when it gets to this time on New Years Eve. I start to think about all the previous New Years Eves I spent before I got married and how times have changed. All the lovely people who are no longer with us, the good times, the not so good times and the really bad ones. I feel a bit sad to see the end of the year and start to be a bit apprehensive about the coming year, wondering what it will bring.

New Year's Eve was a great time for celebration in the North East of England, a bit like Hogmanay in Scotland. In those days it wasn't a Bank Holiday so the South didn't celebrate so much. Hard to believe now.

The whole family went about First Footing, going into neighbours' houses having a drink (not alcoholic for us younger ones) laughing, singing, dancing etc. After that my Dad always took my sister and me to my Gran's house. That was his Mam, then we met up with all our cousins, aunts and uncles for more laughing and singing, no dancing though, there wasn't room. What I do remember is hearing Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra singing Well Did You Ever, over and over again. I can't hear that song without thinking about New Year.

Then we sat about and played silly games like I Spy With My Little Eye. It was made difficult to guess what words my uncles were selecting because of the dialect and they spelt words exactly how they pronounced them. One memorable word was something beginning with H. Eventually we gave up. What was the word? Oven, which they pronounced huven. I might add we just about choked laughing. Great times!

After that my Dad took us home. Mam and my brother had gone to bed by this time but it was usually about eight o'clock and time for Mass, so we'd set off to walk there. New Years Day was still a Holy Day in those days. When we got back Mam was usually cooking the bacon and eggs for breakfast. I can't remember going to bed at all. Great days!

Nowadays people don't seem to do the first footing thing here. We're very unsociable too and just stay in watching telly. My husband is always our first foot. He goes out of the back door at about 3 minutes to midnight with his piece of coal (for good luck), waits until he hears the buzzer at midnight (I have no idea where this buzzer is) then he comes in the front door kisses me and toasts me with his glass of sherry. No staying up all night for us!

Well on reflection it's been a good year. If you're still around to reflect, I reckon that's good. Who knows what next year will bring, good things and no doubt not so good ones. Whatever happens you can't predict it. What you can do is be thankful for the people around you and the blessings you have in life.

To everyone reading this I wish you a wonderful year in 2009, good health and happiness and in addition I'll give you my Dad's New Year toast, he always said:

“Here's wishing you everything you'd wish yourself."