Sun, Moon and Stars

This is Christmas Eve, and for many children, it is a time of hope for wishes to be granted. For so many, New York City is a place for adults to find their wishes granted too, or for some, as a place they hope to see or live in. On October 11, 2007, I wrote Beacon of Hope, about the Chrysler Building as a metaphor for aspirations, dreams and hopes.

While walking down Fifth Avenue, I was struck by this perfectly positioned moon, centered on the street above the baccarat crystal star designed by Ingo Maurer and complemented by the sunny gold of the illuminated Crown Building.

The moon has a lot of competition in New York City, but at times like this, it still manages to get the awed respect it deserves. Friends and I have commented on many a summer or autumn night about a beautiful moon over the city skyline.

This Christmas, I do not wish for things. There are so many larger problems that loom over and worry all of us all about our economy and world. But fundamentally, I am an optimist and have great faith in the resourcefulness of men and women to repair that which is broken, even in the eleventh hour.

So today, I wish and believe in better times to come. If you encounter those who say do not be foolish and reach for the sun, the moon and the stars, tell them you know someone who found them on Fifth Avenue :)