Now is the Time!

​"There was never any more inception than there is now,

Nor any more youth or age than there is now,

And will never be any more perfection than there is now,

Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now."

-- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself 3

As we settle into January and the routine of life, as the celebration and freshness of New Year's Day fades into the past, do not allow yourself to forget that this is a new year. As we (eventually) make our way through, then out of winter, and slowly sense, then feel, the warmth of springtime, keep in mind this great opportunity for renewal.

As Walt Whitman reminds us in poetic terms above, now is the time! If your heart is telling you to take action, then do it. If you want a better relationship with your child, now is the time to prove it through your actions. If you've had a difficult relationship with the other party in your case, and you're tired of the back-and-forth, now is the time to set a new tone. You can't control what the other party is going to say or do, or how they're going to react; but you can control the tone that you set, through your words and through your actions.

We're not getting any younger, so don't get stuck in the past, along with past habits and reactions. And there "will never be any more perfection than there is now, nor any more heaven or hell than there is now." Our children deserve the best that we can give to them -- and I'm not talking money or material gifts -- I'm talking about giving them the best version of you. Now is the time to start!