A Hopeful 2007

For 2007, I've resolved not to have any
resolutions. They are too hard to make,
and even harder to keep.

Instead, I have hopes for 2007:

I hope that finally the world will discover
the truth that to love one's enemy is the
way we should live. Yes, it is more difficult
to love than to hate that person/group/nation,
but we see every day what the alternative offers.

I hope silence will be one of the tunes
that people download for their iPods. In
this noisy, clanging, head-banging world,
we all could use more blessed quiet.

I hope that we will start focusing more
on the caregivers in our society than on
the celebrities. Instead of gawking at
the latest hottie getting out of a limo,
let's look at the father who day in and
day out feeds, bathes, dresses, reads to,
and loves the child with a disability.
Instead of ranting about the superstar
who got pulled over for driving drunk,
let's praise the mother who works 16 hour
days so her children have health care,
and the tools they need to better their
lives.

I hope we First World folks will finally
wake up and smell the garbage we are
creating by our refusal to recycle, by
our obsession to have the newest of
something instead of making do with
the older model, by our belief that
because of where we live, we have
earned the right to use up whatever
we want. (And I hope when we
smell the garbage, we will notice
the people, especially children, who
dig through it for their daily bread).

And (selfishly) I hope for a year with
no crisis, no traumatic phone calls,
no new diagnoses for and about Teddy.
After 15 years of having our physical,
emotional, spiritual, and financial
reserves depleted beyond empty, we
could use a break.

I hope these are not too much to hope
for this year.

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman