New Beginning

Cortado, Ashley Marie, S.

10-Bell

People in parties, drinking drinks, lighting fireworks, and a New Year without

restrictions, are the new definition of free. We’ve experienced 2 consecutive years of

New Years full of restrictions and no’s. And as restriction loosens, freedom are taken for

granted, again.

Our traditional way of celebrating New Years is having a feast, visiting our

loved ones, going to church, and even going home to our provinces. We have our own

little ways of celebrating this event. But this ended during the pandemic, cancelled

events, prohibition of unnecessary travels, and face-to-face occasions were banned.

Our families cannot perform gathered events. We were isolated; and a lot of us went

through something. And as the days goes by, we got used to it. This made the recent

New Year celebration a lot more extra, for the reason of we were all excited, imagine, a

New Year without masks, health protocols, and prohibitions?

The first free New Year we experienced after 2 years, had happened, and we

enjoyed it. Partygoers watched the world’s famous ball, Times Square’s large gathering

without restrictions all waiting for the countdown, reunited families enjoying their feast

together and many more are the things people did during New Year’s celebration. We

obviously had fun, enjoyed, and treasured those moments.

 And as the year ends, we must be remembered that this new year, 2023,

symbolizes a new opportunity, and this means a new journey is waiting for us. And I

hope that we are willing to change for the better and take risks because as Lao Tzu said

“the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”.