As the New Year approaches many people are giving thoughts to making their lives better and deleting people and patterns that no longer serve their lives in a positive manner. Although much has been said about New Beginnings, I have found that Jamaicans are extremely committed to relinquishing their old lifestyles in order to make way for new and improved, transformed lives.
 
Granny and I often discussed these matters because she was a prime example of someone whose life had experienced many changes while inhabiting the Earth.
 
In one single life, my Granny went from a privileged young woman, to a Housewife with children and tremendous responsibilities. As her life progressed, she made religious changes , which completely altered her thoughts and beliefs. With each change, Granny overhauled every aspect of her life, from the foods she ate to the clothes she wore.
 
I remember talking to Granny on the eve of New Year's in 1988 regarding "New Beginnings".
 
I used to ask Granny if she believed that people could forget about lives that were unhappy, complicated and grief stricken. Her answer to my philosophical question was,an emphatic "Yes!"
 
Her response made me even more curious, the fact that she was so sure that people can begin anew after horrible circumstances or "messed up" lives made me want to delve further into the subject.
 
Granny began quoting the bible to me, "With God, all things can be new again. So, no matter what a person experiences in life, God can turn around any situation and give that person a new start."
 
I decided to challenge her, I said, "Granny, what if someone was an Axe Murderer, would God give that individual a New Beginning?"
 
She commented, "Well, that's a far stretch, but God can still forgive that person and create a purpose-filled life for them. Granny continued, starting a new life seems so easy, but one has to have determination and strength. It is very difficult for most people to turn their backs on people, places and things that do not serve them positively. Most folks tend to "backslide to their old way of living."
 
I pondered on the remark my Granny had made and realized that there was great truth to what she had said.
 
So many times in peoples' lives when they end a marriage or relationship, they have a hard time "letting go" completely. Each person tends to go back and forth until the retionship fizzles or until they end up diabolic enemies.
 
When individuals become involved with "bad company" or associates, it is never an easy task to disassociate immediately, it often takes time and a lot of determination to leave the affiliations in the past.
 
Over the many years I lived in Jamaica, I became privy to practices of Jamaicans making a new start.
 
For instance, when a marriage dissolved, the home was usually cleansed of the departing individuals aura and persona. The home was redecorated and the furniture was changed. Sometimes, it would seem as if the person never existed at all.
 
Any reminders of the life that was lived as a result of that union was disposed of, (i.e.)clothing, jewelry, pictures, etc.
 
Even if the relationship ended amicably, most old-fashioned Jamaicans felt it was best to start afresh, a new life without any complications haunting from the past.
 
This belief was also quite prominent when a person passed away. Once the mourning period was over, the house was relieved of their belongings. In a strange way, this ritual helped the grieving process, the less reminders that were around, the easier it was to cope with the loss. It made life without the person  progress more naturally, as opposed to dwelling on the past by daily reminders.
 
Granny always told me, clothing, jewelry and objects all have a history and their own energy. Granny would say, "Ms. Mags, sometimes it takes a year or two to remove the aura of past associations."
 
Therefore, as a young woman growing up, whenever a relationship ended my Grandmother always encouraged me to put new life and energy into my wardrobe.
 
She would always say, "Magsie, you don't want the doom and gloom of the past following you around. You want to dilute the negativity that person brought into your life."
 
So as the New Year of 2010 approaches and most people are making their New Years' Resolutions, it is wise to remember, that with God all things are possible.
 
My Grandmother always reminded me that God cleanses peoples' sins and makes them as white as the driven snow. You just have to wash them out of your mind and your life.
 
Therefore, there is always hope and comfort knowing that through prayers our lives can be renewed no matter what stains have been left behind by the past.
 
Happy New Year!

Tags: Granny and I talk about New Beginnings