happy new year!

It's a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest -- cold, but sunny.  I enjoyed a good, long walk with a friend this morning.  The sun is a blessing; I enjoy the rain and the seasons in their turn, but this blue sky  is perfect for a new beginning.  I'm reminded at optimistic times like these of teaching I have learned in several forms; I think it originates with Martin Luther but I'm not entirely sure, and in its broader form it is one of those ideas that wends its way through a wide variety of spiritual practice.  Every day is a new beginning.  The water with which we wash our face is a symbol of our baptism (that's the Luther-ish part).  Once again, we are reborn.  We may fall; harm or pain may come our way.  Even so, we have a lifetime of do-overs.  A happy thought for a beautiful day.  Happy New Year!