Endings and Beginnings. (National Commentary).

As the year draws to a close, I can't help but reflect back on the many challenges that have tested all of us on so many levels. Personally and professionally, we have been tested time and time again throughout 2001. As this year draws to a close, we will all begin to take stock of our accomplishments, achievements, challenges and failures, and as we do, we will all find more than the usual for which to be thankful as we begin to set new goals to meet in the new year.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of making resolutions at year end. The celebration of the new year is perhaps the oldest of all holidays, being first observed in ancient Babylon about 4,000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first new moon after the first day of spring or the vernal equinox. After all, the beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year because it's the season of rebirth, blossoms and the planting of crops. The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually changed. In 153 BC, the Roman Senate declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. Julius Caesar actually established what is known today as the Julian Calendar in 153 BC, and left the start of the new year at January 1.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year began in Greece around 600 BC. It was tradition to celebrate the god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. The use of an image of a baby with a new year's banner as a symbol of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans, who had used the effigy since the 14th century. It was believed that a person could affect the luck they would have throughout the year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become tradition to celebrate the first few minutes of a new year in the company of family and friends.

The tradition of making resolutions dates back to the early Babylonians; the most popular resolution of that time was to return borrowed farm equipment. The Tournament of Roses Parade, which dates back to 1886, began when carriages were decorated with flowers to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California. The top two resolutions of our time include the promise to lose weight or to quit smoking. While both of those are worthy resolutions, the concept of resolve still intrigues me.

There's been so much talk about resolve recently, especially in light of the September ...