I have been thinking about the challenge of hope...I have always been an optimistic person...I have great admiration for those who can bounce back from adversity, those who pick themselves up after being knocked down...To me, that is one of the true tests of a person's strength and character...Life deals all of us obstacles, disillusionments and sometimes even a real punch in the gut....But those that are happiest in life are the ones who find a way to absorb and heal from the pain and then to learn and grow from such experiences...It is easy to become anxious, worried or even depressed when confronted with disappointed expectations, the loss of a love or failure in an endeavor....But there is one thing that enables human beings to deal with the calamities of life: that thing is HOPE...Hope is the belief that tomorrow will bring a brighter day....It motivates us to get out of bed and strive for something better, whether in life, work, relationships or even just a happy thought or memory....It enables us to make lemonade out of lemons.....
I fear that the coming months and perhaps years will bring the most frightening challenge our hopes and dreams have faced.....Our economic well-being is in greater jeopardy than at any time in our lives...Every day brings more bad news: mortgage foreclosures, record credit card debt, lack of individual savings, corporate losses, stock market volatility, rising unemployment, decreasing domestic production, devaluation of the dollar, trade and budget deficits and sinking consumer confidence....I am convinced that hard times which have already begun for many among us will reach farther and deeper than scholars and pundits predict....The parents of the Class of '69 endured the Great Depression...By comparison, most of our generation have known only prosperity and a sense that the "good times" will roll forever....The economic crisis will hit us hard....
Our hope, our optimism will be rocked to the core...When you consider the difficulties of taking care of parents/relatives in declining health, educating our children and attempting to fulfill our own unmet goals, sustaining hope is a daunting task indeed....Nonetheless, we must rise to meet that challenge with the zeal for which our generation is well known....
Even at our ages (remember when we could not trust anyone over 30), we have the strength and ability to maintain a rosy view of life and our future...We can all see the cloud's silver lining, but each of us as individuals must look for it....Draw on your inner strength, focusing on your blessings and the love of those around you....Seek out the innocence and wonder on the face of a child or the beauty of a blue sky with a bright sun....Know that tomorrow can be better than today if we make it so....Medical science says that most of us, with good nutrition and a bit of exercise, will live for at least another 30 years....While there may be some "lean" years in those 3 decades, there will be many more years filled with plenty: successes of our children, arrival of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; career accomplishments, retirement, travel, completion of the "bucket list" and some plain old smelling of the flowers...There is SO much more life to live...Neither a bad economy, war, a deteriorating environment, global poverty and hunger, incompetent and corrupt public officials, illness and old age, children in trouble nor any of life's sucker punches will be allowed to get us down, at least for long....Get up, stand tall and strong, breathe deep and enjoy the bounty of life....While there will always be things to be angry or upset about, there are so many more to exult....Dedicate yourself to feeling the joy that is all around us....It will impel you to emotional heights that only experience and the wisdom of years can bring....Hope is the way and it is equally available to us all....Grab onto it and hold it dear...With hope, you can endure anything and even laugh in the face of adversity...We must have hope; it gives us the best chance of a happy life.....
I wish you and your families hope and much happiness as we end 2007 and begin 2008....And mark your calendar for Summer 2009 when the Miami High Class of 1969 will celebrate its 40 Year Reunion....Take care.....Alan
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