From the new day...

A few months ago, while I was seeing my hospice patients in a nursing home, I was greeted on the elevator by a resident of the facility. He asked “Have you seen anything new today?” I looked at him puzzlingly and said “No, I don’t think so.” He asked again and I shook my head as I thought about the question. He continued to look at me, waiting for an answer. As I shrugged my shoulders, I said “Not that I can think of, but maybe you have a different idea.”  With that, he responded, with the exuberant voice of a preacher, “A new day, a brand new day, like you’ve never seen before!”

 Where did that come from I thought to myself?! This normally quiet gentleman shuffles along slowly with a walker, has only a few teeth left in his mouth which you see because his bottom jaw juts forward exposing them, and he doesn’t have two cents to rub together.  He appears to have little in this world. But appearances are deceiving. While he may not have tangible wealth or be in the best health, he is clearly rich with joy and has a knowing that many people search their whole lives for and never find. And he’s absolutely right. I thought of him today, and I smiled.

He stayed with me throughout the day in spirit. For today the world was new as it breathed the intoxicating scents of honeysuckle and freshly mowed grass in my path.  It laid before me fields of buttercups and the sight of foals cuddling close to their mothers. 
                                               
The breath of this day carried on it the song of the birds, the laughter of children and the wind rushing by my ears as I biked along the back country roads.  Everything seemed laced with awe and wonder and my heart relished the joy that it brought.  An old man gave me new eyes today, and with them, I saw a new day, a brand new day, like I never saw before.

Giving thanks for the blessing of this day...