THE FIRST DAY OF A NEW YEAR

New Years Day 2009 Welcome to Quiet Waters. WHERE EVER YOU ARE IS THE ENTRY POINT. KABIR LIKE A BLANKET OF FRESH SNOW, THE NEW YEAR LIES BEFORE US AWAITING OUR FOOTPRINTS. THE FIRST DAY OF THIS NEW YEAR DAWNS CLEAR AND CRISP HERE IN THE MID-OHIO VALLEY. i STAND AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS AND WATCH AS WHITE SUN RISES FROM ITS COZY BED OF CORAL AND BLUE SKY, ILLUMINATING THE WINTER WORLD AROUND ME. ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING! WHAT, i WONDER, WILL THE DAYS OF 2009 BRING? QUICKLY, THE ANSWER SPRINGS TO MIND "YOU CANNOT KNOW". LIKE A FRESH BLANKET OF CLEAN, WHITE SNOW, THE YEAR STRETCHES BEFORE EACH OF US, UNTOUCHED, AWAITING OUR FOOT PRINTS, ONE BY ONE. NEVER WILL IT PROVIDE US WITH MORE THAN CAN BE CONTAINED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. EVEN THE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS MUST BE TAKEN, ONE BY ONE. SHOULD WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME PLOTTING THE TOMORROWS OR FRETTING OVER WHAT MIGHT BE, WE RUIN THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN THE NOW OF OUR LIFE. IF OUR THOUGHTS ARE ALWAYS PROJECTING AHEAD, WE LOOSE THE REALITY OF THIS PRECIOUS MOMENT, THIS PRECIOUS HOUR AND THIS PRECIOUS DAY. HIGH OVERHEAD, A MAJESTIC PALLIATED WOODPECKER CLINGS COMFORTABLY TO THE TRUNK OF A BARE SYCAMORE TREE. HE FOCUSES HIS ATTENTION ON DIGGING OUT TASTY GRUBS FROM DEEP BENEATH THE COLD BARK, THE SOUND OF HIS HAMMERING BEAK RINGING THROUGH THE TREETOPS LIKE A TOM-TOM. HE IS NOT THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW'S MEAL OR HOW HE WILL GO ABOUT GETTING IT. THIS PRESENT ACT IS HIS ONLY CONCERN. LIKE ALL THE CREATURES OF THE FOREST, THE WOODPECKER DOESN'T WORRY OR PLAN. IT IS ENOUGH JUST TO BE. WE WOULD DO WELL IN THE NEW YEAR, TO REIN IN OUR THOUGHTS OF A COMING TIME IN THE NOT- YET- BORN FUTURE, AND APPRECIATE MORE MOMENTS, ONE BY ONE. PEACE TO YOU EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR AHEAD. SANDRA