Today I promise...

Today, I promise not to take anything for granted. I promise to appreciate the sun that I have, because I have known the darkness. I promise to stop and listen to the waves and the birds singing, because I have known the frightful and deafening silence. I promise to be aware of the good and abundance all around me, because I have known the cold emptiness. I promise to hold my family closer, because I have known the sadness of empty arms. I promise to be grateful for every moment that I live, because I have seen death. I promise to be a friend and allow my friends to be there for me as well, because I have known loneliness. I promise to be here, present in the now, because the past is but a memory, and the future is not promised to me. Today I promise not to take anything for granted.