I am one of a group of about 40 local folks who will create and host the Peterborough Labyrinth in the Town House for our community to use as a free, meditative walk on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It is a life-size replica – 42 feet in diameter with a path about 860 feet from the entrance to the center.

The Peterborough Labyrinth will be created on the morning of Dec. 31 beginning at 9 a.m. by a cadre of volunteers, generally 12 to 15 people, who will come to measure and draw the form on the floor with chalk and then tape over the lines with black gymnasium tape. The labyrinth will be open to the public from 1 to 8 p.m. Dec. 31 and  8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 1 free of charge. Donations will be accepted to help cover the cost of materials and support a local community service. It will be dismantled at 5 p.m. on Jan. 1, also by volunteers. We invite any interested community members to join us in the upper hall of the Town House on Dec. 31 from 9 to 11 a.m. or Jan. 1 at 5 p.m.

This tradition began at the turn of the millennium, and has been offered every year since, except for 2020 and 2021 because of COVID. People of all ages find this walk meaningful. There are simple instructions in the foyer to the upstairs hall to guide your experience, and a host is seated inside to answer any questions and be sure all goes smoothly.

I especially love watching children walk. When my children were young, they understood that they were to quietly walk the path, which thrilled them because it was like a maze, though unlike a maze you cannot get lost. It is one path that leads to the center and out again. They would enter the labyrinth, walking quickly in a single file and amazingly, within a minute or so, their pace slowed and the magic of the labyrinth touched them. They became less concerned with the people around them and more engrossed in the experience. It was as if they wanted to savor each turn.

I have watched toddlers following parents like little ducklings and mothers carrying their babies. Elders have walked partway and then sat on the sideline to rest before continuing. There is no right way to walk the labyrinth.

When I walk, I like to think about the year that is coming to a close as I slowly walk in. I remember the joys and the painful moments, and I ponder their meaning and the things I have learned. When I reach the center, I consciously release the year passed to make room to welcome the year that is dawning. On my walk out, I think about my hopes, dreams and plans for the year to come and I pray for the people I hold dear. When I come to the end, I am always grateful for the quiet opportunity to leave the busyness of holiday celebrations to intentionally greet the year and ponder my life.

Shelley Goguen Hulbert is a Peterborough resident.