Live in the moment

I was somewhat taken back by this picture when I saw it. 

When Jack Layton passed away this year, I perused many pictures of him reviewing the influence his life has had. I found this one taken in 2005. I was struck again by the realization that nothing is certain in this world and things are always in a state of flux.

These men look rather bored - who knows what they were thinking. Imagine if you were the photographer in 2005, and immediately spoke to these gentlemen about what their future held in 2011. They would probably each call you crazy.

You would tell the man on the right...the Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin, that his strong ruling Liberal party would not only fall, but would sink to incredible lows by 2011 that the party would need to be reborn again from the bottom up.

You would have to break similar news to the very popular and influential man, leader of the Bloc party, Gilles Duceppe (second from the left), that he and his party would also go down to a crushing defeat in 2011.

 The best news would be for Stephen Harper, Conservative leader and the official opposition, (second from the right), that even though the Conservative party knew that same defeat in the past, Mr. Harper would not only soon be the Prime Minister of the country, but in 2011 would secure a majority. He might scarcely believe you, nor would most of the country.

 But most tragic of all would be to speak with Jack Layton, leader of the NDP party (far left). He had perhaps fought the hardest of all, yet his party had never managed to come anywhere near official opposition status. 2011 would be that year for the NDP to surge in the polls under Jack's leadership and finally his dream would be realized...only to lose the ability to enjoy it with his sudden sad and untimely death.

 So much can change in the course of a year and none of us can be certain of anything but change. Perhaps this Christmas season you have perused old photos for which the landscape has now changed. People in your life then, are now missing. Things just aren't the same. Though we sorrow for a season, we should have cause for hope, not gloom.

You are breathing. Every day is an opportunity. Anything is possible.

Let's seize each day while we can and live each day we are granted in 2012 with renewed purpose and hope. We don't know what tomorrow will bring.....but there are things we can change for the better today.

Live in the moment.... but live in wisdom....and peace.