Holiday Letter

[resqgeek]

I have been unusually productive this year, and have already finished this year's holiday letter.  Copies have been printed and will probably go in the mail by the end of the week (once we have updated the mailing list and addressed envelopes).  But for those who either are not on the mailing list, or simply are too impatient to wait for the mail to arrive, here is the content of this year's letter:

Another year draws to a close and soon we will be celebrating the year-end holidays again.  It has been another year filled with highs and lows, and we have fond memories of those who shared their joy with us and are deeply thankful for everyone who reached out to support us in our grief at the sudden passing of Sandy’s mother last winter and the death of her Aunt Laura Mae later in the year.  Through all the struggles, we look to this holiday season as a source of hope for a better year to come.

The Christmas story is, fundamentally, a story of hope, a reminder that great things can have the most unlikely origins.  Who would have predicted that a poor child, born far from home, with only a manger to sleep in, would fundamentally change the world?  He transcended his humble origins by challenging us to heed his call to love and serve one another, and his legacy is forever imprinted on the world.

It isn’t hard to find reasons to lose hope in our world today.  One only has to turn on the news or read a newspaper to see that the world is full of strife and struggle.  But Christmas reminds us that change can come from unexpected places.  We need to hold onto hope, allow it to become a motivational force, driving us to work to make the world a better place, one small act of kindness at a time.  It isn’t always easy to hold onto this hope.  It can be so easy to give in to the temptation of cynicism.  But when we choose to hope, a choice that often requires courage in view of the darkness in the world, then we just might find the strength to let the light of our hope shine forth into the world.

When we reach out to each other in kindness, we share our strength, our courage, our hope, making it easier for others to join us in being hopeful.  This sharing could lead to a cascade of hope, pushing back the darkness.  Each act of kindness holds the potential to inspire many more, as hope take root and the kindness is paid forward.  At at each step, the world becomes an ever so slightly better place.

As you celebrate the holiday season with your family and friends, we invite you to make a choice to be hopeful and to share that hope with others.  None of us can change the world alone, but together we can share the load and the world can be a better place.  May each of you have a Merry and Hope- filled Christmas and a very Happy New Year, filled with blessings.