Dr. David Hopson
I wish everyone a joyous and wonderful “Holiday” season for, despite whether you observe Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, or some other celebration, much of what the world celebrates has common themes – positive change, hope, peace, family, and belief in an entity bigger than ourselves. It appears that for most, the words of Buddha may ring true, “Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” The idea of working together as families, friends, communities, countries, or mankind is common but often difficult to practice consistently and with fidelity.
I hope that everyone takes a moment to reflect on the positives in their lives for, despite the realities of the difficulties each of us face on a daily basis we are blessed in so many ways. We live in an area of abundant natural beauty, supportive communities, and living such an extravagant life that much of the world cannot even conceptualize – being able to read, own a car, sleep in their own home, and have so much low-cost food available that dieting is the biggest nutrition topic in our media. Despite this wealth and privilege we still have pockets of poverty, a growing disparity between the haves and have-nots, and a growing number of billionaires who have found that the words of Charles Kuralt to be true “The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.”
I recognize that the world continues to face obstacles to peace and prosperity and that what happens in the home, at school, and in the smallest town reflects struggles and problems on a national or international level. Even the celebration of different events at this time of the year has lead to disagreements, challenges, and lack of respect. Each time we are able to work through differences in a respectful, fair and equitable manner and can put the needs of the majority ahead of the desires of the individual, we find that the differences are often less drastic than what we first believed and the solution less distasteful than originally thought. How we multiply that process from a few to the many may be the eventual answer to settling many of the disagreements we all face on a regular basis. Of all people, perhaps Jimi Hendrix expressed it best when he penned, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”
I wish everyone the best this season and ask that you remember that, as Willie Wonka said, “We are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams.” May this season fulfill your dreams, bring you faith in the future, hope for better times, and opportunities to share the positives in your life with neighbors, friends, and family.
