Trending
There are good memories and bad ones near the holidays. Everyone doesn't welcome the holiday time of year. But maybe it is a good time to evaluate self, to recognize who we are and why we are, and find hope.
My mother was an optimist: "Let a smile be your umbrella." "Every dark cloud has a silver lining." "Count your blessings instead of your troubles." "Someday, you will ..." Yes, she was an encourager. She inspired hope.
One long-ago Christmas the economy was bad. How would we provide Christmas for family? I bought four strings of multi-colored mini-lights and decorated the porch of the carriage house where we lived. The light in the darkness inspired hope for me, and perhaps was uplifting for others who drove past the house.
I have done this every year since, each year adding at least one new thing. The tradition changed some years ago when our eldest daughter arrived at the house with two French vanilla cappuccinos and we set to work on the Christmas display. As I get older, I appreciate her help even more. It isn't a complicated thing. Just let go of everything bothersome and enjoy the moments ... talking, reminiscing, laughing, making memories ... plotting secret stuff. And there is hope.
Nietzsche said, "Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
Greek mythology says that hope saved humankind, the only gift left inside the curious Pandora's box.
When we have hope, we can believe that good things can happen, that there are good people in this life, and we find reasons for positive thinking. Hope. It inspires us to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Persistent. Determined. Persevering.
Look for hope.
I see it when I pick up my young grandson from school. Children light up when their grown-ups are there to collect them. Their dads sweep them up into their arms, ask about the child's day, and listen to the child's reply. Moms fuss over the children. Do they realize the gifts they are giving to their young children?
Every day a little girl breaks into a smile when she steps into the afternoon and looks up at her grandpa. He takes her backpack and her hand and they walk together to the car talking. And I am sure when she grows up, she will know who she is, why she is, and that she is worthy of love and respect. Because her grandfather gave her these gifts. Hope. Parents, grandparents, extended family and caregivers inspire hope for the children charged to their care.
A gentleman approached a Salvation Army kettle with tears in his eyes. As he dropped a $20 bill into the kettle, he explained that the Salvation Army had helped him a number of times to take care of his family. Now he was on his feet and able to help someone else.
A humble man offered to help his church with a project and was rejected, hurting him deeply. But his companions advised him that he makes a difference in their world. He has value. He is worthy. He is loved. They offered hope.
Merry Christmas!
Family Recovery Center has been helping families to recover for more than 50 years. For more information about the agency's programs, contact us at 966 N. Market St., Lisbon; phone, 330-424-1468, or visit the website, www.familyrecovery.org. Family Recovery Center is funded, in part, by the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.