At 6:00 AM on January pt of this year, the stimulating, life sustaining rays of the earth's sun broke through the shallow layer of clouds and, behold, there was light on the Pacific Island of Kiribati, situated on the International Date Line. This was the beginning journey of the earth's rotation that would allow the sun to closely observe and monitor the multiplicities of good and evil that would be displayed for the next 24 hours.

As the earth made its faithful rotations, the sun, after shining its light on the International Date Line, proceeded to take a look at the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Americas - both North and- South - and then across the Pacific back to the Island of Kiribati.

And what the sun saw was not good. If the sun had the ability to shed tears, its hot gases would eventually be extinguished - then what? Our earth, upon which the sun sheds it life sustaining rays of light, presents a sad picture of the horrific results of the clash of cultures and the deadly fury of Mother Nature as she, for whatever reason, leaves her path of destruction

If the sun could talk, it would likely say, "Planet Earth is a major failure in achieving the goal that was set for it when it was created. In the beginning it held such great promise; it responded to my warm rays of light and there was created a beautiful and bountiful garden in which its inhabitants lived an idyllic life, and then, something tragic went wrong."

If the sun could talk, it would be tempted to say, "Planet Earth has become so corrupted that it does not deserve the continued favor of my life sustaining rays of light and warmth. I think I'll pull the plug on all my generators and see what happens."

At the beginning of this new year we earthly creatures are faced with so many disruptive and unsettling events until anxiety robs us of peace of mind and fear takes the place of faith. This calls out for an approach to life that creates a proper balance between recognizing the chaotic life around us and learning to live a life that has some semblance of peace, happiness, joy and even (sigh) some fun experiences.

This is a New Year's gift we can give to ourselves - the discovery of finding parity between chaos and peace. And if we are successful, we can expect to hear the sun say, "Good for you."

To help us achieve this proper balance is a list of suggestions that could put us on the pathway of learning how to live at peace in a chaotic world. The list is obviously incomplete. Arbitrarily selected, it contains items that are only reminders of what we already know.

1) The first reminder is expressly for seniors: "Age is a requirement for earning a graduate degree in wisdom."
Piet Hein is quoted as saying - "The road to wisdom? Well, it’s plain and simple to express. Err and err and err again but less and less and less." That takes time and age gives us the gift of time and experience. Knowledge may be communicated, but not wisdom. Wisdom is earned the hard way - making mistakes and then taking measures to correct and eliminate them. True wisdom comes at the cost of the birth pains of experience. Seniors have the experience - we now need to translate it into usable wisdom. It can be done - so, do it!

2) "Use the glue of kindness to mend a fractured relationship."
When Krazy Glue first appeared on the market, it had the promise of putting back together again fragile items such as broken china ware or shattered crystal. Kindness is the super glue in the realm of human emotions. Use it often and use it generously.

3) "Remember a broken heart CAN be mended - it just takes time.”
A broken or wounded heart is a common experience. Look at someone who has made a recovery and say to yourself, "If she/he can do it, so can I." While a scar may be left to remind us of what has happened, the experience of sorrow can be a foundation stone upon which a new life can be built one that can withstand a category five storm. Enid Starkie has written: "Unhurt people are not much good in the world."

4) "Imagination is the birth place of all artistic endeavors."
Recently, Hurricane Rita uprooted a magnificent ninety foot tall Sweet Gum tree in my front yard. No longer a thing of beauty, it lay crumpled and twisted, waiting to be disposed of in some obscure trash pile. Fortunately, before I could haul it off as unwanted debris, a passing motorist caught sight of it, stopped and knocked on my front door. His name was Phillip, a skilled knife sharpener at a plywood mill. What I saw as a pile of useless debris, he saw as the raw material that could be transformed into beautiful hand carved wooden bowls. A hard working, laboring man, Phillip's imagination allowed him to become an artisan whose work has been featured in the Lifestyle section of the Natchitoches Times.As I looked at a picture of his attractive creations, I was reminded that imagination is not just a gift possessed by a favored few - it lies within the breast of every human being, waiting to be discovered and used. Use your imagination for a worthwhile purpose.

5) "Enjoy a beautiful sonata - playing a musical instrument is not required."
I marvel at the skill of musicians whose nimble fingers manipulate the keys on a piano, or who pluck the strings of a banjo, or whose hands and arms move in a fluid motion to produce the pleasurable sounds that come when a bow is drawn across the strings of a violin. Since I do not play a musical instrument, I am thankful that my lack of skill in that area does not prevent me from enjoying different forms of music. I remember what William Congreve remarked about music: "Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." Pick your own style of music - use it to soften the hard blows of disappointments; to calm the waves of those anxiety filled moments that seek to overwhelm us; to soothe us when unexpected events ruffle our feathers. Remember, "Music hath charms." Use it - it is your gift to yourself.

6) "Capture the joy of a special moment by sharing it with a friend."
A joy that is not shared quickly dissipates and is removed from our memory box. A joy that is shared can be enjoyed over and over again. The beat of two hearts in harmony with one another produces a pleasant melody that lingers on and on. Life, without the benefit of friendship becomes sterile, shallow and unproductive. So, choose a friend who can hear your heart beat; who can patiently endure your unpleasant moods; and who can smile and laugh with you as you share the joy of some special moment.

Today, at the beginning of our new year, the sun has another 24 hour opportunity to observe planet earth and what its six billion inhabitants are doing with the gift of life. If the sun could talk, what revealing words would he have to say about you and about me? It is never easy to find a balance between having to live in a chaotic world and discovering those things that make for peace. It is never easy, but it can be done.

At Christmas we give gifts to others; at the beginning of a new year, we can gift ourselves by resolving to remember those things that will give us the proper balance we need for times like these. If we do, and if the sun could talk, we would hear him saying, "Good for you!"