Special is what you make it

There's this scene in Kung Fu Panda where Po asks his father - the goose who runs a noodle restaurant - what the secret ingredient in his renowned Secret Ingredient Soup is.
I expected the usual answer: love.
But he says probably the wisest words I've heard in a movie:
to make something special, you just have to believe it is special.

(I absolutely love this movie)

And that's it.
Special is what you make it.

That's new years eve.
The sun rises the same it always does.
Nature doesn't mark itself on this specific day celebrating another trip around the year.
Humans just collectively decided that this is the day. We celebrate, we light firecrackers, we wish each other happy times. 

What you believe to be special, is special.

That's what traditions are.
That's your birthday.
That’s the exam you studied for two years for.
That's the first day of your new job.
That's the last day of your previous job.
That's the day you get married.

That's the day you realize every day and every thing can be special, if you let it.

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Happy 2026!