Take an extra breath with the extra second

This New Year's Eve we will be adding one second to the clock to more accurately align the earth's rotation with the atomic clock. One second might not seem like a lot of time but I intend on using this extra moment to the fullest.

I have made plans, along with my fellow Gishwhes Mishacados, to take an extra breath. With this breath I will breathe in a little more peace, hope, love, compassion and empathy. I plan to breathe in peace even though the wars are raging all around me. I plan to breathe in a little more hope than usual for the people in this country that are losing theirs as the divisions between us grow. I plan to breathe in compassion for my adversaries for they are not that different than me. I plan to breathe in empathy for all those fighting to be seen as equal to me. I plan to breathe in love because without it there is nothing but fear and fear can make the days dark and full of hate and there is just too much hate these days.

It may be just a second but it may be all we need to pause and realize that the differences between us are imagined. That we are able to see each other's side. That in one breath we can decide to stay the same and repeat the mistakes that keep us against them or abandon those ideas that keep us from truly being free.

Meg Preissig

Naperville