The short story is this — time is running out for all of us.
I think the main reason why THE END of the year bothers me is that I realize more and more that THE END of everything is coming sooner now. We are a day closer to eternity than we were yesterday. And as I write these few words, I am mindful that tomorrow may not come for everyone. This is a sobering reality.
THE END of the year should not only be a time of looking forward. Our youngest daughter seems super-excited about 2015 and she's begun writing the number everywhere. Me? It takes me a few months to get used to the change — which is probably the point (she's young and therefore excited about the possibilities which lie ahead; and I'm old and therefore dreading the possibilities which lie ahead).
THE END of the year should also be a time of looking back and, hopefully, learning from past failings … our own, of course, but of others' too. True wisdom is not merely learning from one's own mistakes and sins, but seeing what others did wrong and learning from those things.
In all seriousness, we need to remember life is short. So be kind and rewind (a nod to yesteryear's VHS cassettes) … or maybe don't rewind: in other words, don't dwell on past successes or failures.
2015 — It's really just a number. TODAY is the day we need to think a lot about: How can we help someone today? Could we forgive more? Love more? Smile more?
