A fifteen-year-old Irish girl, Annie Moore, was the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island, exactly 121 years ago today, January 1, 1892. She was accompanied by her two brothers. Their parents had come to New York City ahead of them.
On that first day, some 700 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. The first year saw 450,000 immigrants come through on their way to new life in the United States.
Hundreds of suitcases, trunks, and other luggage are stacked high in a large room at Ellis Island. Bags made of wood, metal, leather, cloth, and wicker are on display in what is appropriately known as “the Baggage Room.”
The bags provide a lasting physical reminder of thousands of immigrants who crowded into this room daily to check their baggage before climbing the steps to the Registry Room.
While many ostensibly came with little more than the luggage in their hands and the clothes on their backs, most of these would-be new Americans brought a great deal more: They had hope in their hearts as they turned their backs on the lands of their birth and staked everything on the chance to make a new beginning in an adopted country.
A Wall of Honor on the island bears the names of half a million immigrants. In addition to those who were processed into the United States through Ellis Island, the number includes early colonial settlers and slaves.
An estimated 100 million living Americans---40 percent of the population---can trace their roots to ancestors who came through Ellis Island.
New Year’s Day is often called a time for “turning over a new leaf.” It’s a new leaf on the calendar as a new month and new year begin. Along with that, the new year is often a time for making resolutions and making a new start---thus, turning over a new leaf.
The leaf turned slowly for some whose entrance into the new land was delayed. They were placed in quarantine to face health problems or legal difficulties. Just so, the new leaf on a new year for us may be slow in turning.
We may be quarantined on our own individual versions of Ellis Island, with our own emotional or family baggage weighing us down, not sure when a breakthrough will come that will enable us to move ahead to a new job, new relationships, new promises, new hope.
Yet this day---the first of the year---can be special as we look back on where we have been and look ahead with prayerful determination to make the most of each day the new year affords.
Verses for Today
“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind, and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained” (Philippians 3:12-16).
Each day from Thanksgiving through today, New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, I have shared inspirational thoughts, in keeping with Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons. © 2002. All rights reserved.
Now, I offer this prayer from the biblical book of Numbers, 6:24-26, for every day of 2013:
“The LORD bless you and keep you:
The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." Amen.
