Each day we are faced with a battle and tribulation. The best that we can do is focus on the small victories and eventually, we will have a big glorious one.
Chuc Mung Nam Moi
It is officially the first day of the Lunar New Year. It is time to have more hope for the new year, which is sometimes hard in trying times. However, all we can do is work hard and do our best.
Year of the Dragon
Today, my family had our annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Although the actual day is tomorrow, the 23rd, it is Vietnamese tradition to celebrate New Years for a week. Even though the Roman calendar states that new years was 22 days ago, there is this refreshing feeling that always comes with Lunar New Year. It is partially because of pride for my heritage and acknowledging the fact that this New Year is bigger for my family then the Roman one, but there is a sense of hope.
When my brothers and I were younger we would recite a little poem that my dad created to the elders. In rough translation it states:
Greetings elders,
The year has past
and now comes a new one.
We hope that you have a year
filled with happiness, good health, peace, and prosperity.
Happy new year, happy new year.
Lucky money, lucky money.
The elders always loved and appreciated it. Although I am older now and am not expected to say this poem. I realized today as I was leaving the celebration to travel back to school that this tradition has been so ingrained in me that I could not leave until I went around to the elders and recite some sort of New Years prayer because with the new year we cannot avoid unfortunate events — but we can hope for the best.
The road not taken
The Road Not Taken
-Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
One of my favorite poems and lately what I kind of feel like about life.
Living in the moment
“We have too many people who live without working, and we have altogether too many who work without living.”
-Dean Charles R. Brown
Leave your dust and dirt outside
“Remember this practical piece of advice: Never come into the theatre with mud on your feet. Leave your dust and dirt outside. Check your little worries, squabbles, petty difficulties with your outside clothing — all the things that ruin your life and draw your attention away from your art — at the door.” -Konastin Stainisvilaski
Each day we are faced with adversity. It is important to remember that tomorrow is always a new day. Even of times are hard, we do not need to hold onto the negatives — but rather look past it towards the positives.
