A new take on the eve of the day: Expectant Anticipation

I never thought of spending evening time in expectant hope for the next day. Yes the new day is coming, and it is filled with it’s own possibilities, but that is for tomorrow. I typically see the end of the day for winding down the current day, but not necesarrily mindful of the next day.

I learned this morning while studying Eve, in Twelve Women of the Bible by Sherry Harney Eve‘s name means The Mother of Life. I thought to myself, as the mother of life, she had immesaurable potential, and she continues to wield her power of potentiality daily.

But her name is also the time of day. Eve. Though we are referring to eve as a time of day, it is often associated with a large scale, preeminent, or celebratory event. The eve of the Oscars have red carpet events. There is the Passover Seder. Christmas Eve is it’s own holiday for many. And the big one, New Year’s Eve. The eve is almost always associated with a celebratory or anticipatory event. It stirs images of families busy in the kitchen, clothing being prepared with extra care, time for one’ self is a must if there is a festive occassion. The smells in the home bring about an excitement as the preoccupation of the promise of what comes next fills the atmosphere! There is room for surprise and celebration in the air. It is thrilling to be on the eve, cusp, or cutting edge of something new.

If Eve the person is the mother of life. how is the eve of a special holiday, ritual, anniversary, birthday or life event any different? Is it a coincidence we as a culture carve out space and time for gathering on the eve before a special occasion? Is there something about the fact that her namesake is used for a part of the day which often turns into a celebration in anticipation of what is to come? She is full of life, expectant with life, nourishes life and alters the destiny of life. She is the vesicular symbol for unlimited possibility, and she is the one who set it in motion.

Both Eve the person and the eve of a new day are expectant in nature. Both are overflowing with unlimited possibility. When you are on the eve of something, you are excited, hopeful, and awake with promise. But this is only for special eve’s. That is not that often.

I then carried this a bit further. A little thought experiment. I thought about my daily evening, which is an eve for tomorrow. How do I live the reality of this definition, Eve, the Mother of Life, during the eve on a daily basis? I admit, I do not have this same sense of expectation. I move through my night, grumbling about the dishes, or laundry that have yet to be done. Even when I saw this definition this morning, that Eve is the Mother of Life, I never thought to apply it to my current eve.

As a 21st century women, I look at the women of the world now, and back to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The mother of the all life? What a responsibility! She knew the complexities of life, motherhood, murder, and betrayal yet she continues to symbolize the gestation of new life, new ideas and a new tomorrow. The abundance of potential is her currency in trade and I’m curious.

Could I apply this new perspective that every evening is budding with the tension of expectant anticipation? Is it possible to create my evenings as a day of review, while being mindful of celebrating the possibilities of tomorrow? This does put a new twist on my evenings. The mystery of tomorrow is calling to me, and it makes for a much more fun way to spend all of my eves, not just the big ones.