The Promise of a New Day

The promise of a new day. It is here for each of us when we wake up each morning. Sometimes this promise is not even on my radar, and on other days I embrace it before my feet even hit the floor.

What is in the promise? Possibilities. Opportunities. Moments of awe. Connections to other living beings. Belonging, in our own little human ways, to an expansive Universe.

Living gratefully, taking actions to notice and appreciate the here and now and the gifts it brings, awakens me to this promise of a new day like nothing else can. So I actively practice gratefulness each day. Some days the frequency cuts in and out. On other days, the clarity is striking. Most days are between these two.

Recovery from alcoholism and being a cancer patient have been and continue to be two of my best teachers, as are the people who know of these two diseases in their own experience and listen to me with open hearts and minds.

I was at a baby shower for my nephew and his wife this weekend. It was a lovely event and a really enjoyable time. I also had heartfelt conversations with people who are very close, right now, to the deep pain and ongoing challenges of cancer. The promise of a new day is not something everyone gets. Life is short. We will all die.

So I remember:

-Today is a gift. Spend it well.

-Contribute, don’t contaminate. Help, don’t hinder.

-Pause. Notice. Nature and other people and life’s little laughs.

-Linger a moment longer with who and what you love.

Linger in the early morning on the farm and see this new day arriving: