New Year's Day

Today was not much different than yesterday. True, the activities were different. Yesterday was the Sunday after the feast of the Nativity and I led worship, preached and paid a late morning call on a parishioner with communion. Today, a national holiday, was focused on family complete with lively conversation and traditional -- and really good -- food. But, the first day of 2007 was hardly different than the last one of 2006. The morning coffee tasted pretty much the same as yesterday. The newspaper was in the box when Tal walked out to Country Club Road for it. It rained hard during our drive to the family gathering and notable numbers of drivers still chose not to use their headlights.

Except, even though I've not had to remember to write a seven instead of a six yet, in some inexplicable way today was different. There exists an arbitrary line of demarcation between yesterday and today and the cycle of the seasons and special events -- holidays, birthdays and the like -- has begun again.

I suppose the big question from my perspective has to do with my own willingness to begin again -- each day, to see today as profoundly different from yesterday and to claim each morning as a chance to do or to say or to decide something significant. Maybe even such drama as that isn't necessary, particularily the whole idea of "significant". Perhaps I can simply be mindful, be aware, be awake. I'm talking about being alive, as opposed to going through the motions, of caring how I "spend" my time be it leisure or work time, of engaging the alluring gift of being a human person on this precious globe at this time and in this place.

So, do I have a resolution? Maybe. I'd like to greet each day with a sense of optimism that, admittedly, does not come naturally to me. Now, that will take constant reminding. Every day can be decidedly new even though, like today, it will be much the same as the one just past.

Smiling just thinking about it, I could be off to a good start.