New Year thoughts

Yesterday has deposited us on a new beach today on an island uncharted with promises of bright suns and forebodings of darkening moons. To stay in the light, a few notes, weighty and otherwise, from wise travelers who once passed this way:

•   “New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.”– Hamilton Wright Mabie, 1846-1916, American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer.

• “New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. – Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American author and humorist.

• “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul.” – G.K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English lay theologian, poet, dramatist, journalist, orator. 

• “I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.” W.C. Fields, 1880-1946. American actor, comedian.

• “Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with a prophetic ray.” – George Lord Byron, 1788-1824, English romantic poet.

•  “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832, German writer and politician.

•  “I have the opportunity, once more to right some wrongs, to pray for peace, to plant some trees, and sing more joyful songs.” – William Arthur Ward, 1921-94, author of Fountains of Faith, American writer of inspirational maxims.

• “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela, president of South Africa, 1918-2013.

•  “And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within sight of the castle of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for life, and for time’s olden memories that are good and sweet; and may the evening’s twilight find me gentle still.” Max Ehrman, 1872-1945, American poet, attorney.

•   And this from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (4:8) from the Bible’s New Testament:                                                                          Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.