tonight is a night of fireworks, long stemmed glasses, and taxi rides in big cities.
it is also the end of a decade. of lives, some places, some where.
tonight is a night where a new child clings to her tired mother.
tonight is a night where a father closes the door on a son.
tonight is a night where families receive news, human news:
news of love, news of dying, news of pain, news of beauty.
so celebrate. celebrate the day because it is a day.
and this day will never be known again.
celebrate today as the gift it is, with gratitude and quiet smiles because the one who gave it thought of you all the days before this day.
this year, much like this day, was a blessing, a gift. I grew and continue to grow, became rooted in my God, grounded in my world. but in this process, I realized the sky. Deep and vast and beautiful. Endless. Room to grow. Room to collide. Room to have others get in my way, and room to love the ‘inconvenience’, to love the words and the stories of those around me. I never knew this would happen. I never knew I could grow again. I never knew I could grow at all.
so in two thousand ten, I don’t think I’ll be making resolutions. I have no idea what lies ahead for me to learn, and I have learned that I do not even know what I want other than to have life be lived and to hope. So all I will say is this:
1. I hope to be love, be grace, be mercy, be patience, be true to those around me.
2. I hope to read passionate words and write true ones.
3. I hope my journey to africa will not be my journey, but, as a team, our journey.
4. I hope to remember that I am not bringing God to africa, but meeting new people, new creations, new images of Him.
5. I hope to be courageous in living.
6. I hope to value the creation God made me to be by pursuing healthy habits.
7. I hope to learn something completely unexpected.
8. I hope to not be given the american dream.
9. I hope to read the book of Job with new eyes.
10. I hope to live with my hands wide open.
