Countdown

When the moment approaches, a “big” one, the preparation starts early!  Parties are planned well in advance.  Key reservations are made at our favorite restaurants well into the future.  Even hotel reservations are usually made with weeks and months to spare.  When we are excited we get ready early.  It is interesting to reflect on what “we”, individuals and communities, find exciting.
 
New Year celebrations and New York are linked in a special way.  One anticipates and experiences the ball dropping at Times Square with overwhelming and pulsating crowds.  It isn’t hard to imagine; millions watch and experience the scene in the virtual world in which we find ourselves.  There are special celebrations the world over on this day!  Preparations begin well in advance and yet it is the special moments spent with those close to our hearts which we hold most dear.
 
When one thinks of other occasions, a romantic weekend, an anniversary, and many other special celebrations, one recalls the moment as well as the events leading up to the special moment in time.  I find myself recalling periods of reflection, planning, and laying everything out in minute detail.  I recall the time invested in shopping, preparing, and orchestrating so the experience for everyone involved could and would be perfect.  When others were involved the teamwork holds its own special place in my heart.  I recall a band playing on the beach, hanging art for a show under duress, and even times sitting, talking, and preparing.  In each case our metaphoric actions were the same.  It was as someone recorded our efforts with the following words; “Their arrows are sharp, bows strung, the hooves of their horses shod, chariot wheels greased.” (Isaiah 5.28)  We were prepared.
 
As a new fold in time emerges, I find myself imaging a world where we put the same type of energy and focus into individual moments and acts of compassion.  Using the same intensity, passion, and willingness to work in harmony with others, we, you and I, bring mercy, love, and acceptance to individuals in the moment.  Incredible.