As I write this message, it is Sunday, January 17, 2016. I have been watching the news this morning, and I am deeply moved by the fact that five Americans are being allowed to come home after months of being detained in Iran as political prisoners.

I cannot even imagine the sense of joy and elation that the newly freed men must feel. Nor can I step into the shoes of their family and loved ones who eagerly await their return to American soil.

It all made me ponder, however, the idea that a day can make a big difference in one's life.

In addition to watching the news, I was watching the first snow of the season falling gently and accumulating on tree limbs and grass. I love snow when I don't have to go anywhere, and as it turns out, today is a day when I don't have to venture out if I don't want so, so I enjoyed the snow from afar, and I also reflected on how different today is weather-wise compared to yesterday. Yesterday the sun was out, the temperatures were moderate, and it seemed silly when I heard the forecast for snow for today.

What a difference a day can make, indeed. One day we can be living, the next day, not. One day we are expecting a new baby, the next day we can be new parents or new grandparents. One day we can be engaged and anticipating our wedding and the next day, the vows have been made, and a new life as a couple has begun. A day can make a huge difference in our lives, individually and collectively. Consider how we were all changed by the events of 9/11--what we all wish had just been another day--but the events of that day changed all of us forever.

And then I thought about the difference each of us can make in a day. We each have the power to make a difference in the lives of those we love and those with whom we work. How might you make a difference today?

I ask you to consider that because I believe we each have the power to make our days wonderful no matter what external events may be at play, and more importantly, we have the power to make a difference in the lives of those around us. A kind word, a smile to a stranger, a random act of kindness for someone you may never see again can go a long way. Likewise, don't forget that your words and actions have tremendous power over those with whom you live, and work, and play. What do you offer? What do you do to make someone's day? We each have that power whether we choose to remember it or not. So, I ask you, what will you do today to make a difference?

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