“Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?

“For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne.”

We all know the first verse and the chorus of this old Scottish folk song, based on a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. But do we ever think about its meaning?

The literal translation of “auld lang syne” is “old long since,” “times long past,” or — in the spirit of the song — “for the sake of old times.” And this year, it seems particularly appropriate to bid farewell — and good riddance! — to the year just gone by. Because it was a stinker.

This year, rather than relying entirely on luck, chance, or the fates, why don’t we all work toward a better one to come . . . even if the only thing we can contribute is our voice in support of peace and justice, and our refusal to bend to opposing, destructive forces.

So — one more time — here’s to a Happy New Year. We’ve earned it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/1/26 in