Welcome 2017 with hope, optimism*

Tempus fugit! How time flies!

We're bidding 2016 adieu and welcoming 2017 with hope and optimism. Let's give thanks to Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, for sending His beloved son, Jesus Christ, to live among us, inspire us, and die for our sakes, for our salvation!

Carpe diem! Seize the day, the present moment well with hope, prayer and thanksgiving.

Life is short---too short to be worrying and stressing so much. The past is past. Don't worry about it. Whatever happened in our lives, it's done and gone. It's over and out, and gone, like smoke that vanished into space.

We can't undo what is done. We don't live yesterday. And neither tomorrow. We simply live now, today, this present moment.

Time flies, and there's nothing you or I can do about that, because it's just the law of nature. That's the way it is and always will be. But our attitude about that law can determine what kind of life we have. Time well spent, or time wasted?

Yes, let's seize the day, the very moment of our existence. Enjoy Life this very moment with our family and friends near and far. Technology allows us to connect and reconnect.

Do what makes you alive, happy and well. Pray for your salvation and for others'. Sing if you feel like singing. Dance with or without music. Eat if you feel hungry. Share your ideas. Create something out of your knowledge and skills and experiences in life. Be out there in the open and breathe fresh air to clear your lungs.

Remember this: Only you can live your life to the fullest. Only you can change your life for the better. Time flies, so seize the moment!

Goodbye 2016! It's been a tough year, with all the chaos and controversies, issues and idiocies, indifference and divisiveness, a national election that seemed impossible but happened.

Donald Trump promised to make America great again. Let's wait and see if he can deliver that promise. We can only hope and pray, as they say. Meanwhile, let's give him a chance to serve and lead the United States. Let's try to accept the forthcoming change that's inevitable in our lives.

Welcome 2017! It's the year of the rooster on Chinese calendar. What's in store for us in 2017? Changes in our lives, for sure. Whether we like it or not, we have to accept change and live with it with optimism that our lives will be better.

Such change has to start with us.

Have a blessed new year! May God bless us always.

-Chris A. Quilpa, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, lives in Suffolk. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.

*Appeared in the Opinion page of the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Saturday, December 31, 2016. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.