Are you ready for 2017? Well, ready or not, it is here. Now it is up to us to make the best of each day we have.

Many years ago at Kiddville Baptist Church, for some reason that I do not remember now, there were framed pictures with different sayings on them that the members could choose from to take home with them. The picture I chose on that long-ago day said, “Each day is God’s gift to you, make it blossom and grow into a thing of beauty.” I still have that picture in my home that I look at daily. It has been in my home more than 40 years now I would say, but little did I know how those words would mean more to me now than I ever dreamed they could back then.

I think it was meant for me to desire that particular saying back then. You see, I now realize after having stage-four cancer how every day I now get is a gift to me from God. Actually, it always was, but I did not value it as much until after I had cancer. I am trying to get others to realize how much we take every day for granted. It is only until you are faced with the fact that your days could possibly be very limited that you realize how valuable life is. 

Something I saw on Facebook today reminded me of that also. It was labeled “Ten truths I’ve learned the hard way.” I am going to include just a few of them in my column today. I have no idea where they originated. 

1. Everything happens for a reason. Either it is a blessing or a lesson.

2. No matter what, you have to keep going. Better things will come your way.  

3. You lose people in life, but the right ones will make their way to you and stay. 

4. Be good to people. You never know how much time they have.

Some things I would add to that list would be:

— Just be yourself, because really that is the only person you can be in life anyway. I think young people find it hard to not try to mimic someone else in their life, and they do not realize it would be so much better to just relax and be themselves.

— Try to do a good deed every day for others. Think outside of the box. Be a good friend and never forget your roots. Set good examples for our youth because they are watching our lives. There are so many others going through my head but I will stop there.

I did not make any New Year’s resolutions, but here are what my goals are this year. I am going to read my Bible through again this year. I am going to be more weight conscious and think before I eat. I want to make a difference in someone’s life this year. I want to strive daily to be a better person and citizen.

We all have a new year to make differences in our lives, but it is up to us to make daily differences in ourselves. Sometimes that is the hardest to do. We can always see the bad in someone else but never see ourselves for our mistakes in life.

My wish for Clark County is that we make a difference in this county and rid it of drugs, and Clark County becomes a place to be proud of because we worked to keep it that way. I hope the people of Clark County realize it is up to each of us to make the difference we want to see.

Happy New Year to all of you for whatever lies ahead. We will all have the best days of 2017 and, as in 2016, we will lose some of our precious people to death. We will all have some days we will wish did not happen. Whatever each day holds for you I am praying you have the fortitude to get through each one and remember there are better days ahead. Bring it on, 2017.