What a time it is. Martin Luther King Jr. set forth the promise of change in America some 40 years ago. President Obama professes it now. But what both men instill in us is hope.
Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be attained. And for most of us, peace and love is what we most desire within ourselves.
To hope is to wish for something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled. Without hope, humanity is filled with despair. There's a lot of despair in the world now because of greed, wrath, envy and other assorted evils. Greek mythology tells us about those evils that were released when Pandora opened the box. But hope remained in the box until it was revisited later and set free to curb the utter sadness in the world.
We need hope now more than ever to combat the helplessness that we feel in this world of wars, broken economies, insidious diseases and unenlightened nations. We need to reach out to the people of the world and as the new president said in his inauguration speech, "We must extend the offer of peace and dignity throughout the world and the hand of friendship to each and every nation."
A reflection of the past reveals to me that it was never about the money or the personal possessions or the success in a career. It was about being safe and being happy and being healthy and being loved. What more could you hope for?
In this winter of our hardship, it's time to realize what is important. My hope is that all of you will be safe, happy, healthy and loved in this coming year. Change is coming. Hope should begin now.
Nice talking to you.
