Five Minutes to Midnight, 2012

Place: any home in Venezuela. Time: five minutes to midnight. Station: Radio X. Atmosphere: the children, asleep with their eyes open, walking around like mummies; the women, as always, running between the kitchen and the dining room; the men (the youngest ones in the house) absorbed in their conversation, their drinks or their fireworks, which we hope won’t end up burning them or starting a fire.

The shouting begins: “Come on, it’s five to twelve! Hurry up!” Some of them we have to drag in, until finally we are all gathered in the living room waiting for the big moment. And for the thousandth time we hear: “Las campanas de la Iglesia están sonando… anunciando que el año viejo se va… Faltan cinco pa’ las doce, el año va a terminar… me voy corriendo a mi casa a abrazar a mi mamá…” That is Néstor Zavarce’s classic “Faltan cinco pa’ las doce” (“Five Minutes to Midnight”), the song about church bells ringing out the old year and running home to hug your mother. Thank you, Néstor Zavarce, for this song you left us, which every year has us choking up!

And we shout “Happy New Yeeeaaar!”… And on the radio comes the other great New Year’s classic, “Año nuevo, vida nueva” (“New Year, New Life”), promising happier days, health and prosperity. Firecrackers, kisses, hugs, cell phones, laughter, and tears! Tears because someone who has left us forever is not with us; because someone had to go far away and could not be with us. Tears as we remember so many years we have endured with patience; as we think of those deprived of their freedom and of their families; as we look at our children or grandchildren, all grown up, who in a few minutes will hit the street to go celebrate with their friends, and we don’t know whether they will come back alive…

But don’t think it’s all tears. This year we are going to celebrate in style, because we are entering a very special year: 2012. We will celebrate because those of us who are here have not lost hope, and we know that something very special may happen this new year. That said, we are clear that whatever happens we will never lose hope, because every New Year comes with a New Fight. And who is more used to fighting than twenty-first-century Venezuelans?

Those of us who have Faith have the great blessing of leaning heavily on prayer to keep up the fight. Those who don’t will also try to be better every day. But what really matters is that every Venezuelan, whatever their political leaning, whatever their faith, wherever they live and whatever they do, understands that our society is counting on the best in each of us. And the best we can give this Homeland where we were born is to fulfill our duties (however small) with Love, doing our work as well as we possibly can, always striving for excellence (starting with our studies) and, above all, seeking the good of those around us and thinking of ourselves last. If we all set out to act this way in 2012, nothing else would be needed to live in a country with Justice and Peace.

So it is not enough to choke up when we hear “Five Minutes to Midnight.” What matters is that this “New Year” brings not a “New Life” but a “New Fight,” because we can always fight to be better until the day we leave this earth. Today is a good day to make clear resolutions for personal improvement and to see how we can contribute a little more to our society (we can even jot them down on a slip of paper). Each person’s fight to be better every day, and to give the best of ourselves to others in everything we do, will be the best gift we can give our children and grandchildren, who are our reason for living.

Happy New Year to EVERYONE! And you know: whatever happens, everything is for the Good! Because the last thing we lose is Hope. And remember that Venezuela is on the Continent of Hope and has a great deal to give the world, in spite of everything. May God fill you with health, blessings and above all Fortitude and Wisdom in 2012, so that we can continue our fight to build a better country!