the first day

This is the first day we have to tell someone we love them. The first day to hold a baby in our lap, take a walk through the park, find a lost pair of glasses, call an old friend to see how they are doing. This is the first day to begin again the great work of justice that gives our lives meaning. The first day to sit quietly in prayer, offering thanks for all that has been and for all that will be. The first day to tell a joke. The first day to watch the wind bend the trees, the moon come up over snow, the lights come on like hope. This is our first day. The day we discover again how precious every day can be.

-- The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, January 1, 2013