I hereby express my institutional wishes for you all to have a happy new year, this and that, whatever and what not. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Happy Holiday, Have A Lovely Summer, and A Long and Prosperous Life.

I've always had a difficult time trying to sound sincere in doing that. Not that I don't wish my family, friends and even you a "happy new year", I very much do, but I feel like the very mentioning of those expected phrases subtracts honesty from my well wishing.

I don't have any reason to doubt the sincerety of whoever might pass me a "merry christmas", it's just that he or she is expected to, so how can I tell? No, I'm not paranoid, I don't mistrust people for the fun of it, I'm more likely gullible than the opposite.
I guess I take all those institutional well wishings for what they really are; empty phrases exchanged with both those we really love and care for, and those we hardly know and even with some of those we disdain.

Maybe the reason I hardly ever hand out those empty phrases to anyone myself is because I don't want anyone to think I don't mean it. But believe me when I wish you all a happy new year, because I really do.

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