As
you peruse this year-in-review edition of The Windham Eagle, we hope you enjoy
looking back at some of your favorite articles with fond recollections of 2017.
As long as I can remember, I have always
looked forward to year-in-reviews. There have been a few exceptions, however,
when years were especially challenging. Instead of looking back to reminisce, I
wanted to jolt forward quickly into the new year with the hope of creating
happier memories.
However
2017 has played out for you, I would like to gift you with pieces of my
favorite prose/poem which I have framed and hangs on the wall in my home office.
The name of the piece is, “Desiderata” written in 1927 by Max Erhmann.
As
you enter 2018, may some of the words and bits of wisdom below assist you as
you make decisions, reach goals and create new memories.
The
first stanza of “Desiderata” states, “Go placidly amid the noise and haste and
remember what peace there may be in silence.” It seems it was a noisy world in
1927 and it is a noisy world today. Take some time to yourself and experience
the quiet you find in solitude. Scientists and gurus, alike, agree that it
clears the mind and helps one face the daily demands of life.
Another
stanza in the prose states, “If you compare yourself with others, you will
become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons
than yourself.” We all have been given our own unique gifts and we all have
something special to give to the world. If we focus on our own gifts, we won’t
have time to worry about or judge others.
Another
favorite stanza states, “Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond
a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.” I must admit, I need work on
this one. I always begin the new year with high expectations of myself, only to
find two or three months into the new year that I am not going fast enough to
achieve my goals. As a result, in comes self-criticism.
Toward
the end of the prose, it says, “You are a child of the universe, no less than
the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear
to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Was Erhmann trying to
tell us not to worry so much?
And
my all-time favorite stanza, “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it
is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful! Strive to be Happy!” Pretty
transparent. Enough said.
Happy
New Year! If 2017 was a good year for you, may 2018 be even better. If 2017
wasn’t the best - well there is hope for joy and bliss as you leave the
challenges behind. Cheers to 2018!
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