Thursday, December 31, 2015

Today..and the rest of your life.



It’s the last day of the year. A year it was. We learned a lot. We lost a lot. We loved a lot. We saw a lot. I am both thankful and melancholy at the same time. Thankful for family, safety, food, roof over my head. Thanful for safety and families enjoying the holidays and loved ones; not just on domestic soil, but abroad as well. The Paris attacks, like 9/11, once again taught us that life is so fragile and needs to be treated delicately and we need to feed off each other for strength. I think for the first time I saw a world united against one enemy and in some weird way, I was proud of that. I think the majority of us love our families. Love our children. Love our husbands and wives. Seeing hurt so far away places hurt on faces of your loved ones so near and dear. Those people could’ve been me. The people in the concert hall could’ve been me. The people eating outside unaware that their last moments were minutes away…could’ve been me. I get angry that people don’t step up to help others. On the flip side I also understand people’s hesitation about making sacrifices that could turn around and hurt their loved ones and families. It’s a very blurred line we walk, but we walk it together. I don’t know you folks that are reading this. I see the countries you may be living in when you read my words, but that’s it. You may think you are just browsing invisibly, but through my words I hope you know that I care. I hope you know that you are just like me. I hope you know you are cared for and in times of worry, you should think of the things you love most on this earth. They are most likely not “things”, but rather those moments in your life when you were happiest. When you were the most content. When a sun-drenched smile was the greatest part of your day or a kiss from the person you love most was the richest of gems that you could hold in your heart. Any more, I am only happy when those I care about most are happy and I can bow my head and leave my worries fall off my back as I pass through the threshold. I hope you have less worry in the new year. Less worry, more love, less stress, more easiness, less war, more understanding. Make it count.
Happy New Year.
Bob

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart. -Marcus Aurelius