This year I added to our holiday decorations a large wreath over our kitchen sink with big red letters spelling out the word BELIEVE.
While visiting for Christmas, my ten-year-old granddaughter asked me why I'd chosen that particular word. I told her that Christmas and the beginning of a new year was a time to reevaluate our lives, to rethink where we are, what we've accomplished, where we want to be and what we still want to do in our lifetime. I told her how important it is to believe in something larger than ourselves. Believe in God. Believe in the power of love--which might be the same thing. Believe in miracles. In family. In the inherent goodness of others. Or even in the Santa Claus myth--which embraces family, miracles and love. But, perhaps most importantly, we need to believe in ourselves and our dreams.
For as long as I can remember I've written poems. As a child, it was the way I attempted to make sense of a world that often seemed random, senseless and chaotic. Poetry meant so much to me that I studied it in college. Throughout the past thirty years I've published poems in small literary journals and anthologies. But I always dreamed of having a collection of my poems in print.
On this New Year's Day 2014, I reviewed the proofs of my upcoming poetry book, "A Question of Mortality." I looked at beautiful and amazing possibilities for cover art. And I haven't been able to stop smiling since I received the proofs. What a wonderful gift, what a way to usher in a new year.
It has been a long time coming. There were moments when I got discouraged, but I never stopped believing it was possible, never stopped believing it could happen.
This is my New Year's wish for all of you. Understand what it is you want to accomplish in your life. Know who you are and what you want to become. And never, never stop believing you can do it. There is an incredible power in that one little word. BELIEVE.
While visiting for Christmas, my ten-year-old granddaughter asked me why I'd chosen that particular word. I told her that Christmas and the beginning of a new year was a time to reevaluate our lives, to rethink where we are, what we've accomplished, where we want to be and what we still want to do in our lifetime. I told her how important it is to believe in something larger than ourselves. Believe in God. Believe in the power of love--which might be the same thing. Believe in miracles. In family. In the inherent goodness of others. Or even in the Santa Claus myth--which embraces family, miracles and love. But, perhaps most importantly, we need to believe in ourselves and our dreams.
For as long as I can remember I've written poems. As a child, it was the way I attempted to make sense of a world that often seemed random, senseless and chaotic. Poetry meant so much to me that I studied it in college. Throughout the past thirty years I've published poems in small literary journals and anthologies. But I always dreamed of having a collection of my poems in print.
On this New Year's Day 2014, I reviewed the proofs of my upcoming poetry book, "A Question of Mortality." I looked at beautiful and amazing possibilities for cover art. And I haven't been able to stop smiling since I received the proofs. What a wonderful gift, what a way to usher in a new year.
It has been a long time coming. There were moments when I got discouraged, but I never stopped believing it was possible, never stopped believing it could happen.
This is my New Year's wish for all of you. Understand what it is you want to accomplish in your life. Know who you are and what you want to become. And never, never stop believing you can do it. There is an incredible power in that one little word. BELIEVE.
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