The following is a holiday greeting that I received from my dear friend Susan Olubi. I was deeply moved by it and felt immediately that her message had a universal appeal. With her gracious permission, it is reprinted here. I hope it speaks to you in the same way that it touched my heart and soul. . .
” Friends and Family, How time flies! Another year gone, a new one begins. We have each experienced new highs and lows this past year – birth of a new child, extending the family line; a new love, be it experiencing it for the first time or being lucky enough to have a second chance at it; the loss of a loved one; new jobs; new homes; new home towns; renewed lease on life; better health; and so many other events and emotions that make the list endless.
We are occasionally knocked down but manage to pick ourselves up, dust off and go on. We wake up in the morning filled with hope, get through the day and repeat the process all over again. Every day, news stories spell gloom and doom for the world we live in. But we each know that the human spirit is indomitable. We endure and thrive and continue to persevere, with hope being our foundation. The hope for a better tomorrow.
We learn the power of love and gratitude within ourselves when we extend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters in need around the world. We continue to reach inward to find that center of balance in our otherwise overwhelming, over scheduled lives. We reach for the love within each of us that is the foundation of our peace and hope.
As we begin this New Year, may the love and hope that centers each of us continue to guide and to encourage us to extend ourselves to one another in our collective efforts to create peace in our world.
Finally, I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite authors, Marianne Williamson
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us.”
May we each continue to strive to live the love within each of our hearts. Here’s wishing you all the best in 2014 and always . . . Susan “
