A new beginning

The words and songs, rituals and traditions will soon give way to other pursuits. Yet the real hope that they express will live on, renewed again by the expressions of the season.

Christmas does not end when the gifts have all been opened and the feasting has been finished. The story of Christmas is a story of new birth, of promise, love and hope.

This day is not an end, but a brilliant new beginning. This day is an opportunity to open your heart to the best of all possibilities.

Though the years will pass and the seasons will change, time cannot erase the love and joy that live in your heart today. So give your very best to this day, for its real value will always be with you.

Whatever else it may hold for you, today is a new beginning, an opportunity to move forward with renewed purpose. And that's a gift you can always treasure.

-- Ralph Marston