A Beautiful Poem from Mary Oliver to Guide You in the New Year

by | Published on Jan 1, 2021 Last updated Dec 19, 2023 | Amish Culture

May this year be filled with unexpected good things for you. “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,” may you find solace in your imagination if there’s nowhere else to go.

(Keep scrolling for the video version of this post.)

May this year be filled with unexpected good things for you. “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,” may you find solace in your imagination if there’s nowhere else to go. Because sometimes that’s all we have.

The poem below by Mary Oliver is my New Year’s inspiration (and the quotes I’m referencing). I sit here tonight reflecting on my past year and the one ahead. And because it’s the holiday season, inevitably I also think a ton about my childhood past years.

Those memories come connected with my favorite stories and books. In the past several years, I started a tradition of revisiting my childhood books and I’m always surprised by how much those stories influenced me. They made me believe in myself and feel that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

I was different from everyone around me and the authors of those books guided me through a life that didn’t appreciate and value who I was. I owe so much to the writers for playing such a powerful role on my path. The world of imagination is no joke. I hope that I, too, will be a source of comfort and validation and inspiration for children long after I’m dead.

My 2021 vision is inspired by this. To create and produce good works/materials that will live on and make a difference for children, some of whom might also feel misunderstood and alone.

"Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

To education and children’s rights,
Torah
Executive Director, Amish Heritage Foundation

By <a href="https://www.amishheritage.org/author/ahf-blog-torah-bontrager/" target="_self">Torah Bontrager</a>
By Torah Bontrager

Torah Bontrager earned her BA from Columbia University in New York City and is the foremost expert on Amish life, culture, and education. She's the author of Amish Girl in Manhattan (a memoir) and Amish Insider blog, and Founder & Executive Director of the Amish Heritage Foundation. A sought-after leader, she helps legal and health professionals, educators, and creatives become culturally literate so they can expand their missions to successfully serve the Amish population. Take her free quiz How Much Do You Actually Know About the Amish? or get her free "54 Popular Myths About the Amish" PDF.

Become an Amish Insider+ Member

Related Posts

Only One Child Testified in Landmark Supreme Court Case Wisconsin v. Yoder
Only One Child Testified in Landmark Supreme Court Case Wisconsin v. Yoder

Out of all the children affected by Wisconsin v. Yoder, only one, Frieda Yoder, testified. In her testimony, she was only asked if her religion was the reason she did not go to school––not if she wanted to go to school despite her religion, or any question pertaining to her own wishes for her future.

read more