Hope for the New Year
December is known for many things. One of them involves a jolly fellow in a red suit, another a festival of lights, and still another....reflections of the past year. Although we must pay tribute to those loved ones we have lost this year and remember the joys we shared, we must also remember that January 1 is a fresh start. I am an optimist, and regardless of the triumphs and tragedies in my life, I always have hope. ( And I have notebooks full of poetry and prose I have written about hope, more for my own benefit than to share with anyone.)
First there is the hope that my family will have a roof over their heads, fresh food for fuel, energy, and health, and that we will have each other to hold onto. I have hope that we will spend more time in nature, seeing the world as it deserves to be seen, heard, and otherwise experienced.
Friends of Acadia photo from their Facebook page. Please visit www.friendsofacadia.org to help preserve Acadia National Park for generations to come!
Second, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I am healthier, happier, and stronger than I have ever been in my whole life. I joined Crossfit last February and have been welcomed into a whole new family of people who encourage each other, who give back to the community, and who remind us to honor our military heroes and veterans for their sacrifices on our country's behalf. And I am thankful I have amazing friends and family who support me and encourage me every day.
Some of my Crossfit family, Crossfit Acadia, after October's "Barbells for Boobs" event to raise money for mammogram scholarships and breast cancer treatments. Photo from Crossfit Acadia's Facebook page. (That's me on the far left.)
Third, and certainly not least, I have hope that I can do more for other people. I have several relatives who have spent years in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, teaching children in Ghana and Uganda, and I have a cousin that leaves for Kenya soon to spend a year as an emergency services nurse through CMMB Medical Missions. I am proud of all of them and their efforts to do more for the world. With a young child, I don't have the ability to go abroad just yet, but there is a lot of good I can do right here. I don't have money to donate but what I do have is a hand to lend and time to share. I have the time to help out at the food pantry. I have the strength to help with the next Habitat for Humanity build. I have the ability to help at the next Take Pride in Acadia Day. I have strength and I have time. I have an eager child who loves to spend time outdoors, and to help people, and together in the coming year, we are going to do things together to help our environment and our neighbors in need.
CMMB photo. To help with CMMB's Medical Mission in Kenya, visit: http://support.cmmb.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1010&pxfid=1980
To conclude, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, a Joyous Winter Solstice, a Happy "Whatever You Celebrate" event I have missed, and if the world doesn't end on December 21st, a Happy New Year for 2013. And I wish you hope. I hope you will enjoy the sweet moments of life, hope you will show your love to your loved ones, and hope you will help others in need.
Best Regards,
Jeanne
