Every one always talks about the new year as a time for new beginnings. This is a truth for billions of people around the world. With the flip of one single second, there comes a wave of hope, of promise, of future. Resolutions are made. Intentions. Aspirations. All when the clock struck 12.
I think it is tremendously good for this type of all-at-once-positive-energy to emerge. This confluence of high dreams, and spirited wishes, all in the name of good. Even if it just spills out and overflows, what can it hurt? But wouldn’t it be great if we could carry it with us on February 18th? Or August 3rd? How about June 12th? Any day of the year. Or better yet. Every single day.
Here is a good story about new beginnings. It probably has affected most Americans living today, one way or another. In the year 1892, Ellis Island opened up as an immigration inspection station for the United States. From that day forward, it would go on to be the gateway for more than 12 million people to come into the U.S. That’s 12 million.
It started out along these lines. The Army had unsuccessfully attempted to use Ellis Island as a place to “convalescence” immigrants” as early as 1847. I guess the ones who were ill, or suffering from travel. From what I can gather, there was just some sort of battery still standing there.
But, across the New York Harbor was a place called Castle Clinton. It had been used as an immigration station since 1855. And it was very active. Castle Clinton processed more than eight million immigrants during its time. Apparently, the individual states had their own varying immigration laws until 1875. That particular scheme didn’t seem to be working out so well. The federal government regarded Castle Clinton as having “varied charges of mismanagement, abuse of immigrants, and evasion of the laws.” Because of all of this debauchery, the feds wanted it to be completely replaced.
So, that is about when the federal government took over control of immigration. In the early 1890s. They conducted a study to determine the best place for the new immigration station in New York Harbor. Of course, Congress had disputes about where to build the new station. Liberty Island was the first choice. But, eventually, the committee decided to build the station on Ellis Island. And that’s all she wrote. They built, and it opened New Year’s Day, in 1892.
The first immigrant was Annie Moore. She was a 17-year-old girl from Cork, Ireland, who was traveling with her two brothers to meet their parents in the U.S. After she stepped across, another 700 immigrants passed over the docks that day.
Ellis became Ellis. It was the nation’s busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. Imagine coming off the boat, and stepping onto its docks, finally making it here to America. The land of promise. Of new beginnings. There were hopes packed in those suitcases. Dreams under those hats. Resolutions. Aspirations. Good intentions.
As a result, many of us are here today.
Making our good wishes. Our intentions.
Our Happy New Year Resolutions.
Happy 2020. If you are making a wish today, I hope it comes true.
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“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”
― Rabindranath Tagore
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“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
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“I will be generous with my love today. I will sprinkle compliments and uplifting words everywhere I go. I will do this knowing that my words are like seeds and when they fall on fertile soil, a reflection of those seeds will grow into something greater.”
― Steve Maraboli,
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