"THIS MOMENT"- Special New year gift

It was an awesome New Year party last night. All my friends were fast asleep after getting drenched in booze yesterday. I got up early and decided to go for a walk. I'm walking along a beach in Goa and it's a beautiful day. The future stretches out ahead, in vast ocean that surrounds me. As I walk along, my past is there too walking along with me, but today I want to walk forward, to live in ‘THIS MOMENT’ and truly want to see all good things in my life and world around.

The air is warm and dry. My heart is suddenly full of joy as I remember that it is New Year's Day. A day to start afresh and my heart is filled with joy and curiosity of what this new year has in store for me. People walk and ride bicycles on the bike path just round the corner. They talk and point, and laugh together, as they enjoy the New Year day. What a beautiful and peaceful scene it makes!

I pass by a man and his son, a toddler held safely in his father's arms. His face is a study in pure joy and wonder, as he looks out over the miles of sandy ocean shores, vast ocean of his brand new world. It is the beginning of a beginning, and tears gather in my eyes with the power and sweetness of this simple thought. A man sits on a rock and gazes into the distance. He looks sad and forlorn, as the breeze blows by and makes the leaves flutter on the tree next to him, in this lonely scene. I am reminded of other days in the past when sadness and hopelessness were my only companions. I say a silent prayer for him, and profound thanks, to God, for me. Then I walk on.

An old woman leans on a fence post, looking into some other time. She doesn't seem either happy or sad, just gazes into the past, or maybe the future. I wonder what her ageing, but still lovely eyes have seen, in the time that she has spent in this world. Where has she been? What amazing things has she witnessed? A lifetime lays hidden behind her eyes. A feeling of timeless peace flows through me and all fear of what the future may bring drains away. I thank her with my thoughts, and move on.

I am almost back to my hotel. I walk by a stand of young trees swaying in the wind. A loud burst of cheerful chirping and tweeting erupts from the little grove, and I can't help but laugh out loud, at the "bird party" going on next to me. As I reach my room, go inside, and close the door, I say another thanks to God for the gift of "THIS MOMENT". It has taken a long time to find it, and although I can't seem to keep it with me, all of the time, I know how to open the door again, when the time is right. I know that whatever the New Year will bring, there will be joy, and enough treasures of "THIS MOMENT", our present to help me through the hard times that we all must face.