ArcaMax

Part of the new and baffling technologies is actually quite simple and dramatically effective. No matter what goes wrong with connecting my router to the world of streaming and the world of my house, the tech person on the other end of the line inevitably tells me to, “Unplug everything and then wait a little and then plug it in again.” In addition to making me feel like an absolute fool, this “unplug/replug” method almost always kills the electronic bugs in my electronic feeding trough.

All of this explains why we make New Year’s resolutions at this new time of the year. Our resolutions to fix the glitches in our lives requires the very same technique we use to reset our TV. We need to unplug our lives from spiritually and morally corrosive practices and then pause to make some serious attempt to figure out why we lose track of our best selves. What do we fear that makes us blind to what we know is right and good? What do we seek that cannot truly comfort us even if we attain it? The New Year’s Day holiday unplugging gives us a gentle nudge back onto the path of righteousness.

Amazingly there is evidence that this formulaic practice actually works. Although some 80 percent of resolution-izers fail some 20 percent succeed and that is greater than those who just randomly resolve to make life changes.

The sudden and massive popularity of semaglutide weight loss shots have messed up New Year’s resolutions to lose weight which is one of the most common resolutions. Strong medicine has replaced strong willpower. I am not opposed to this pharmacy aided resolution because taking the drug requires an act of will and a responsibility to ask your physician to alert you to common and unwanted side effects.

Here is my list of 2026 resolutions (write to me to share with me yours):

– Swear less. Last year, I made some progress on this one, but when I become lazy and angry, sometimes I use the f-bomb when a more spiritually appropriate word would be better.

– Give more thanks to Tracy Clark, my editor at Tribune. She treats my words with patience and wisdom that I often do not possess. Thanks, Tracy!

– Thank my doctors more who saved me from prostate cancer this past year. What they did in healing me saved my life. What I did for them did not even save one day. Physicians are God’s hands in our broken world.

– Write more thank you notes on paper with a fountain pen rather than just tossing off a quick e-mail. With all our electronic modes of communication, the handwritten note still has no equal because it takes more effort and expense and it reminds us of the ways kind and literate people used to share the gift of gratitude.

– Include more wisdom from Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus. I sometimes drift into the spiritually unhealthy state of writing about religion as if Judaism and Christianity covered the entire field when in fact God did not give all the truth to us.

– Keep crying when I hear “Auld Lang Syne”. This song based on a Scottish song and written by Robert Burns in 1788 always brings me to tears and I cannot explain why. Perhaps it is because the song was written in remembrance of friends from “long, long, ago” and this fills the song with a note of both sadness for the loss of their love but also gratitude for their presence in our lives. I first learned it at the end of Boy Scout retreats, but its haunting melody still fills my heart with overflowing. I hope it does the same for you.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne?

Chorus

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!

and surely I'll buy mine!

And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

Chorus

We two have run about the hills,

and picked the daisies fine;

But we've wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

Chorus

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

Chorus

And there's a hand my trusty friend!

And give me a hand o' thine!

And we'll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

Chorus

Happy New Year, dear friends, both new and from long, long, ago.

(Send ALL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including “Religion for Dummies,” co-written with Fr. Tom Hartman. Also, the new God Squad podcast is now available.)

©2025 The God Squad. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c) 2026 THE GOD SQUAD DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.