In Celebration of Being Alive

Today is New Year's Day! Unbelievably another year has passed away and a new one has begun. Its celebration time and a time to make resolutions (to be broken the same day!). 

On one such new year's day when I was in school, I was upset and angry because I couldn't wear pretty earrings to Church. The old one's didn't come off :(  I was sitting in my room in the afternoon when my dad gave me a small book to read. It was called "In Celebration of Being Alive" I cannot recall the author's name now.

It was a story about a childerns hospital. In this hospital some children were permenant patients. I cannot remember their illness now but there was one boy who had suffered 3rd degree burns and wanted to be a racer. His car was his neighbour's wheelchair. I remember this boy because his description was extremly graphic and so was his character. 

He celebrated each day because he was alive and because his condition was better than most of the children who couldn't even move about as freely as he could. Though he looked as if he was the one who had suffered most, he was the noisiest and happiest of all the kids.  I remember this boy because on one hand I was upset and I wasn't celebrating as I couldn't wear a pair of earrings (duh uh! How silly!) and on the other hand there was this boy who was happy all the time even with the scars of his burns. 

That story taught me a lot that day and since then I have tried to live each day in celebration of being alive. Sometimes I fail but mostly it helps me be me. 

So when people ask me how did I celebrate new year's eve I say I celebrate every day because I live each day and not just on new year's eve. New year's day deserves celebration as another year has been gifted to me. Its a great gift. Not everyone is as lucky as me. :-)