Today, February 16, much of Asia will be celebrating the Lunar (Chinese) New Year.
In a span of less than two months, we have celebrated three New Years:
the Church’s Liturgical Calendar last December 3,
the Julian Calendar, followed in most of the West, last January 1,
the Lunar Calendar, followed by many Asian countries, today.
New Years speak to us about beginnings, fresh starts, hope, renewal and time.
Beginnings are always time of fresh hope and new initiatives.
They allow us second chances.
I have always been sympathetic and kind to new beginnings,
specially the bold and daring ones.
New beginnings also remind us of time.
There are those who reckon the year by the time it takes earth
to complete one revolution around the sun.
Others reckon the year through the number of days
it takes for the moon to revolve around the earth.
Still others reckon the year through the changing of the seasons.
We can also choose how to reckon our days and year.
There are those who reckon and count time in minutes and seconds.
They tend to live their lives in panic, frantic and always short of time.
24/7 are almost always not quite enough.
There are those who live their lives in moments,
relishing, appreciating, and enjoying the times of their lives and
then storing them in their memories.
My time is something I create.
I can live by the minutes,
or by the moments.
My choice?
The latter.
Happy New Year.