What a wonderful world

When I was just about just about six years old, I remember our family had a special reason to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day – my brother Jerry returned from his service in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

For my brother, whose birthday fell on New Year’s Eve, I am sure that was an even more fantastic present than he could have wished for in his life.

Outside of this particular celebration, we never went out of the way to celebrate the changing of the years.

Many of us look on January 1 as a chance to begin life a new with resolutions of things we would like to see ourselves accomplish in the new year – lose weight, exercise more, spend more quality time with family.
Why do we need another January 1 to do these things?

Each morning we wake up, sit up and place our feet upon the floor. If we are blessed with mobility, we get up and begin to walk and fulfill the promise of the day.
A brand new day with all the possibilities that entails – the golden rays of sun dance across the sky as it greets the new day.

What can we do today?

Go fishing? Reconnect with an old friend? Clean the house from top to bottom? Learn how to dance? Learn how to paint? How about learn how to fix the car in the driveway and get it running smoothly again?

What will the day bring? Will the phone ring opening up yet another adventure that we have never imagined?

I remember an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” where Buddy Ebsen starred as a hobo who influenced the young “Opie” with his different approach to life.

I recall him telling “Opie” that tomorrow is the perfect day to do anything.

I am not one that believes that tomorrow is the perfect day for everything. Today is the perfect day.

Want to lose weight? Want to start exercising? Want to change the direction of your life?

You woke up today, you are breathing, your heart is beating, and your mind is functioning. Why can’t you improve yourself today rather than waiting for tomorrow or that January 1 do over date?

Life is a blessing, in my opinion; we exist to improve the surroundings to which we are exposed in our walk upon this earth. Those surroundings include people, places, and things. Do we walk over that piece of trash on the sidewalk or pavement or pick it up and put it in the trash? Do we watch our actions and language in public so not to have a negative influence on those around us? Do we take care of our home, our car, public property in our community or those things belonging to others that we happen to use?

The New Year is at hand, if I place it in your hands, will you take it and make a difference in your life, in your family, in your community?

I pray we all do. If we each did, “What a wonderful world it would be.”