There is a new day dawning
Not just a new day — a whole new year!
Masks an accessory of the coronavirus,
Symbolic of the 2020 annus horribilis
This new year 2021 stands before us
like a storybook waiting to be rewritten.
Let us plan to approach this new year with 20-21 vision.
Ready to see clearly, to meet this creative challenge.
Let us not only plan to do things differently but
“to make a difference.”
This experiment has no expiration date.
If you falter in your dedication,
You have the option of endless renewal.
One is easily defeated when you give up trying.
Strive to be more observant of your surroundings
Look up, down, side to side, and all around.
Strive to be nicer and friendlier,
To smile more, to offer a kind word
Muffled safely behind your mask,
To say a prayer for someone who seems distraught.
Welcome the stranger, offer a warm greeting.
And, if it rains on your parade,
Chase away the dark clouds
And search for sunshine and rainbows.
No need to do anything spectacular.
Concentrate on the ordinary,
for that’s what life is made of.
Practice allows these actions to become second nature.
When we glaze over daily noise and distractions,
We make space to savor the present moment.
When to start? Today, tomorrow, next week?
No need to delay — Start this very minute
Capitalizing on the Power of NOW.
Farewell 2020 — Welcome 2021.
