I walked into 2017. Surrounded by light. Lights. Beautiful people and lanterns. 

For unity. For hope. For love. 

The lanterns are a metaphor. They are more than guides. The lantern we carry is our light. Our voice in this noisy world. Our hope. Our love. Us. 

During the walk, the lanterns became heavy. This is like our light. Carrying our light out into the world can be a difficult task at times. It has a weight. Our kindness, our happiness, our joy. It requires an effort. A conscious, daily effort. A new effort every moment. But we must make the effort. 

Because our light is not for ourselves. We carry our light for others.