Welcome 2020

How ironic that this year would be titled after something we all wished we had, perfect vision. To be able to see everything with clarity both near and far is something we all long for. There comes a time as we age that our eyes do not respond as rapidly to the light and quickly focus, and glasses are required to correct this imperfection.

What if you had perfect vision, not only perfect but you could see the future clearly. If you saw that you were going to suffer a financial setback, would you be prone to watch your money more carefully during the first part of the year? If you saw you were going to be ill, would you start eating better and introduce an exercise regime to your daily schedule? If you could see the very day when you would lose your spouse, would you treat that person with more love and tender care? The possibilities are endless if could see the future, but we can’t.

With the start of the New Year some of us entertain the mindset that we get a do over in our lives. We write down resolutions and swear to ourselves that this time we will keep each and every one of them! That last about two months for most of us, and then our old self takes over again, and runs the show. There are some people that have so much fortitude that may set a goal for themselves and they meet it. I envy those type of people for having the tenacity I lack.

Because we don’t have vision that can see the future, we take our loved ones and daily comforts for granted. We put off till tomorrow what we should and could have done today. Each and every one of us are guilty of thinking we have time to do all the things we intended to do. There is a verse in the Bible that brings us all into perspective and makes us more cognizant of the time we have here on earth.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James 4:14

 We have just seen an end to the 2019 Christmas season. We will be taking down the decorations and storing them away for another year. What else will we be packing away? During the Christmas season we often extend to each other the hand of brotherly love, compassion and generosity. If we had the vision to see into the future, knowing that we would be judged in the end time on how we treated others, would we be so quick to pack up all of these attributes? The greatest commandment in the Bible is to love one another, and is not isolated to the Christmas season only.

 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:36-39

It’s really very simple, as we do not have futuristic vision, we should live every day of our life the best we can, treating others as we want them to treat us, with love and compassion. We can plan our new year to the best of our ability, but the truth of the matter is we only live one day at a time.

As parents it is our job to raise our children with compassion and love for others. As I always say the best way to do this is by example. Live every day with love and consideration for others, like when you’re driving and someone pulls out in front of you. Your children are watching and listening to how we respond to this situation. Try to react with patience and understanding, as you are setting a standard for your children to mimic.

We as writers have an opportunity to continually interject, in our writing, love and compassion for others. It is hard to write about something if you do not live it, and that is where the rub is, easily said but not easily done. If we do set resolutions for the New Year, let one of them be to be patient and compassionate with others, and live every day as if it were our last.  You never know, it may be.