The year 2014 is still new. It's only the tenth of 365 days to come this year. Why is there value in think about that? It's certainly important that we salute the passing year and welcome the New Year with renewed aspirations and resolutions, that we gather in celebrations of family and friendship and a million or so people gather at New York's Times Square, even in frigid weather, to celebrate and cheer on the New Year to the very last second of the old, as megamillions more watch on television.
I like that it's a good time to review how far we've come, or not, in the past year and to re-assess the direction our lives are taking with our eyes on hopeful plans to make the next twelve months better, productive. Personally, I think about the fact that it takes everyone to bring about change for the better in our culture, in our society and our way of life. More of us, I believe, must be the architects of change and improvement where it is needed not only to make our own place in the world better but to take help those who are not sharing the "successes", the joy and the means to have better lives. It's also time to think about teaching everyone. One citizen at a time is the first step in bringing about meaninful societal change.
This year, I remember those left behind many New Year's Eves through the years of my own life and I'm sure others did the same. Some think of friendship, "success" and "progress" in life with goals of a whole variety of ideas about what we are searching for in life. Myself? I've reached the age and comfort to say, what about others?
On January 6th millions celebrated the ending of the 12 Days of Christmas and celebrated the Feast of the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, the Epiphany. Millions, following the Christian tradition, open their hearts to an annually re-newed awareness of the Light of the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi, Casper, Melchior and Balthasar, to a stable in Bethlehem to pay homage and bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrr to a New-Born King, a king of a realm we did not know, with a mission of saving us from the ravages of evil within us. I don't need to repeat the story here to make a simple point:
No matter who we are, what our heritage, what our religious beliefs and traditions, we are spiritually and physically binded together as a race of humans who need other humans in our lives. Imagine the proposition of one of us being the only person on Earth! We can't imagine it in any way that makes sense.
Men and women need others of their own species to live with and to love as they love themselves.
My new year's review for this year took this route. It's not easy; it's hard mental, emotional and spiritual work to think about our purpose in life or the responsibility for what we leave behind us, too vague, with many doors in our minds that we are not comfortable opening.
But, I started my assessment in appreciating my family, our home, a place in our community, and the spirit, (for me with a capital ‘S’), that guides us through each day and every day, using our talents and gifts to help others and make the world at least a little better place.
We are so very grateful to live in Southington, Connecticut, a community so rich in the good will of its people in all walks of life, their genuine compassion, generosity and love for others, whether through a small kindness or sharing something more substantial. Our community’s spirit gives hope and lightens the burdens of others in need.
We have so many groups by the dozens like Southington Community Services, Bread for Life, charities initiated in the activities of many faith congregations and our inter-faith community, civic, fraternal and service organizations and institutions in Southington.
Beyond the reality of serving the essential human needs of our own people, our town’s unrecognized corps of volunteers are a shining paradigm for others. They light the way for others who realize that there but for the Grace of God, go you and I. . Thanks, Southington, for welcoming us here in our retirement during the past nineteen years and for opening us to the splendid folks we’ve met in our churches, temples, charities, community service, civic and fraternal organizations as well as in our outstanding educational, professional, business and municipal institutions of this town. Writing your stories have been as uplifting to me as I imagine writing music can be.
And that, my friends, is what I thought about this New Year's Eve and how I plan to remain proactivley involved in life as a card-carrying member of my community every day this year, God willing.
Happy New Year! What are you going to do for the next ...
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