Theme: Good proposals for the New Year

Happy New Year

It was December 31st, the last day of the year. At Livia’s house, the family was gathered for New Year's Eve.

The uncles and cousins had arrived much earlier. Everyone tidy and excited. Dinner was delicious and the desserts were tempting.

The party was great, but the children started to get sleepy. Livia didn't want to go to bed before midnight. Neither her siblings Andrew and Celina, nor her cousins Peter, Theo, and Anna, as they wanted to see the New Year and follow the countdown.

- What time is it? - asked Ana.

- There's still a little bit left, replied Aunt Chris. I'm not going to talk, so you don't get discouraged. It's better to play or talk a little, so time goes faster.

The children went playing, but soon returned.

- Aunt, what about now? Is the new year near? - asked Andrew.

- There's still a little bit to go - replied the aunt.

- Wow, but it takes a long time to get to midnight - said Theo, discouraged.

Livia then remembered something and said, excitedly:

- Guys, look how cool! The book I received as a Christmas present, from Aunt Chris, is called “Here Comes the New Year”, by that author I adore, Ruth Rocha, and it tells a story she invented about the house of time, where Mrs. Midnight didn't want to go down the slide of time and that's why it was taking a while to get to midnight on Earth. The time was running late, but the clocks didn't show it because the seconds and minutes kept ticking. Sounds like what's happening here, don't you think? Time passes, but midnight never comes!

- It’s truth! It really looks like it! And I'm almost asleep standing up! - said Peter, tired.

- But why didn't Mrs. Midnight want to go down to Earth? - Celina asked.

- Because she thought that every year people promised to do good things in the new year and they didn't do it. She wanted the new year, which was still a baby, back in the house of time, to be very happy this time - Livia explained.

The children were interested and Livia brought the book from her room to read to them. She was the oldest and already knew how to read well.

The book caught their attention. They listened to the story carefully and laughed commenting on the part about the promises for the new year.

- Not lying and not missing classes to play football, that's fine, but I can't guarantee not eating sweets in secret! - Livia said, with a little laugh, because even before dinner she had already eaten some sweets in the kitchen.

The children talked about their good proposals for the new year. Each one thought about what needed to improve and made their plans.

They talked about their favorite sports, about helping each other with the most difficult tasks, they thought about trips to take together, healthier foods and many other things.

Suddenly someone called:

- Come, the time is coming! The countdown begins!

- Yay! Finally! Midnight has arrived! – the children shouted happily.

- I think Miss Midnight believed that we would keep our promises! - Peter said jokingly, remembering the book!

- And we will! We made great proposals! - said Andrew, excited.

- Yeah! And the new year will be a super happy year! - said Anna.

- Of course, it will! – agreed Theo.

- 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, Happy New Year!

The whole family hugged and celebrated. They entered the new year with joy and renewed hope.

The arrival of another year is a great opportunity to start over, to redo plans and to improve even more.

Happy New Year to everyone, with lots of love and peace!

Translation: 
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com
 

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com