The Book of My Life

You know the saying, Today is the first day of the rest of your life?

It's true, you know. Today is January 1, the beginning of a new year. 

Each of us has been given a very special gift -- a new year, a new book if you will, with 365 blank pages in 12 chapters. As a writer and as a photographer, I know that some days the words just don't come. Some days, the inspiration simply doesn't show up. And that's OK. The important thing is to fill the pages of our unique books with special people, things, events and experiences.

Obviously not every day will be filled with noteworthy things. But we have the capacity to make each day special. After all, this book we are writing is just for ourselves, not for anybody else to read. It will become a record of 365 days of our lives, 365 days that once gone, cannot be relived or recaptured.

I naturally wake up very early every morning. So I have decided that rather than bemoaning that fact, I will get up and do something productive. After my dogs were fed and let outside for their first potty break of the day, I started writing this post. I prepared some food for later today (and a couple of days later). I replied to an e-mail I received from a young man in Ethiopia who was a big help to me during my visit to that country a few years ago. I am currently enjoying a hot cup of tea.

Each of us has a unique story to tell. We get only one blank page every day. I want to fill the 2023 edition of my book with lots of things that are significant in my life. I don't want to waste even a single page. I am at an age where I am acutely aware that the clock is running out on my life. So I don't want to waste any time on frivolous or annoying people or things. I want to focus on things and people who bring me joy.

 What story will you write in your book? What story will you read on Dec. 31, 2023?