My Gratefulness Newsletter arrived in my inbox this morning and there were reminders there that the year is still new and full of promise – which I had all but forgotten. It’s hard to believe that twenty-two days into the new year, I would have settled into old patterns and ways of thinking and being. A poem by Anne Hillman called “We Look with Uncertainty” was shared in this newsletter prefaced by these words: “At the beginning of the year, we stand before new doorways, and the vastness of yet unexplored passages stretching out before us, no matter how old or young we are. Beckoning us are all the moments and opportunities of our future lives in ever-unknown measure, and the only response is a wholehearted “yes.” In this spirit, how grateful we are to Anne Hillman for sharing this tender and inspiring vision through her poem:
WE LOOK WITH UNCERTAINTY
We look with uncertainty
beyond the old choices for
clear-cut answers
to a softer, more permeable aliveness
which is every moment
at the brink of death;
for something new is being born in us
if we but let it.
We stand at a new doorway,
awaiting that which comes…
daring to be human creatures,
vulnerable to the beauty of existence.
Learning to love.
It’s a beautiful and poignant reminder that new choices and new opportunities await in the newness of this year and that I can still open my heart to all that is being offered. For those of you who haven’t heard about Gratefulness.org, it’s an online community for Grateful Living. You can light candles there and send e-cards as well. It’s worth taking a look at.
The next poem I found on the internet is an acrostic which spells out the words “Happy New Year.”
Happy New Year
H appiness depends upon your outlook on life. – Find the good in all situations
A ttitude is just as important as ability.- Keep your attitude positive
P assion find yours this year! – Do what you love and you will never work
P ositive thoughts make everything easier.- Stay focused and stay positive
Y ou are unique, with special gifts, use them. – Never forget you have talent
N ew beginnings with a new year.
E nthusiasm a true secret of success.
W ishes may they turn into goals.
Y ears go by too quickly, enjoy them.- Wisdom from your elders, listen
E nergy may you have lots of it. – Take care of yourself
A ppreciation of life, don’t take it for granted. – Live each day
R elax take the time to relax in this coming year.- Keep a balance in your life.
As I look at the last collage (above), I think back to the year not so long ago that I felt that I wanted to try my hand at painting – and I did. I also remember the day when the forsythias in the garden were in glorious splendour and I had the urge to take this particular painting out and put it among the bushes and take some photos. As time goes by and I advance in years, it’s good to do those things that I had always wanted to do but never had the time to do. Days and years go by too quickly.
You may be feeling the same way and I hope that these poems and the above quote give you that extra boost to make this New Year a special one. They certainly helped to jolt me out of my complacency.