today is the only day left before tomorrow.

it's new years eve. the last day of the year. the only day before the new year.

and I’m kind of at a loss for words. surprise surprise.


this past year has been good to me. I have learned lessons. I have made new friends. I have lived, I have loved, I have experienced. I hope it's been the same for you.
looking back, I have a few memories that really stick out to me. but, If I had to create a highlight reel for 2008, it would probably include every second of every day. because these are lessons learned. every second is a second that is different than the last.

I think a lot of people look forward to the start of a new year because it means they get a chance to start over. a clean slate. but really... the sun will go down tonight, and it will come up tomorrow morning. same as every other day.
you need to realize that every day is a new day. every day is a fresh start. a new beginning. another chance.


but I’ve come to realize that it's a lot easier to start over when you have a clean calendar hanging on your wall. fresh and ready to be filled with vacations, events, birthdays, parties, etc. an old calendar brings back memories, but a new one is yours to create memories on, so to speak.

I've come to realize that too many people make resolutions and then forget about them the next month. too many people give up on themselves because things are so hard. and during this time of economic crisis, it could be a lot harder.

do me a favor. please, remember that money has no control over time. money has no control over love. it has no control over hope. love and hope are yours. they do not belong to money. I will enter the New Year with $26 to my name. if I end 2009 with $26, then so be it. I will have loved, learned, and lived. that is what is important.
don't let hard times rule your life. wherever there are dark clouds, there is a bright sun shining behind them. the storm will pass. walk toward the sun, and the shadows will fall behind. I promise.

I hope and pray that you all live to see the end of another year. because the world is not the same place without you. and your life is not yours to take. for if you end your life while the storm clouds are above you, whose beautiful face will the sun shine on when the storm passes? you are not alone. you were not alone this year, and you will not be alone next year.

you are all beautiful people. you have the power to create a beautiful year. so please, rise to the occasion. this is a chance. this is the chance you've been waiting for all year. the time has come, and it is real.

leave your old self behind, with all the memories. leave your old self behind, with the pictures and the songs and the plans you never made. leave it with the pictures you never took. leave it all behind. start over. if you have black boxes in the back of your mind, open them. release the darkness. open your eyes. there's a bright future ahead of you. don't let the panic bring you down.

in 2009... live. when you have a song to sing, sing it. when you have tears to cry, cry them. when you have words to say, say them with an open heart. when you have love to give, give it. no matter what.

happiness is a conscious decision you have to make every day.

this will be an especially different year, with a new leader of this country. he can make new rules, and he can set new restrictions, but he will not change you. and no, he will not change this country. you will change this country. we, together, will change this country. please, work together to make it a beautiful place. make it a country worth living in. land of the free, home of the brave? you are free to be honest and open, and you are brave enough to take on the challenges that come your way.

don't go into the new year with anger and grudges and bitterness towards anyone. give up the pain that brought you down this year. give it up. it will only bring you down farther in the years to come, if it is not dealt with immediately. so give it up. give up the pain. break the addictions. unlock the clinking chains. you have it in you. I know you do. but you cannot do this alone. surround yourself with people that love and care about you. they are there, and they are ready. you just have to open your heart, open your mind, open your soul. you will find love in the strangest of places, and you will find hope in the darkest of times.

whatever you do, wherever life takes you, please do not give up.

take everything one day at a time. do not worry about tomorrow. today has enough worries of its own.


play new games. make new friends. try new things. life is about change, so change for the better. stop standing still. keep walking. keep moving forward.
but always, always be on your guard. be responsible. be wise. be well.

as I stared into the fire tonight, guitars and melodious voices running through my head, I realized so much. I realized that I love all of these people. I love them so much. no matter how many times they've let me down. no matter how many times I've cried over them. no matter how many times they break their promises. I love them.

and now, I'd like to hear some of your plans for the new year.
tell me your hopes... your dreams, your goals, your plans. I want to hear them. I want to help you. I want you to have the best year of your life.



This year is gone.
next year is here.