Remember when you counted down from the Halloween all the way to Christmas, waiting for THE gift you wanted Santa to bring?  I remember the year all I wanted was a Strawberry Shortcake watch:  it had a red band, and you had to wind the hands to keep it running.  I broke it within hours of opening it.  I was in tears for the rest of Christmas day.

As I have gotten older, the need for material things has waned.  Yes, I still want a Caramel Brulée latte from Starbucks on certain days, but now I reflect more upon the intangibles in my life:  how my kids are doing, how I can be a better version of me.  When I think of hope, there are so many things I hope for.  Maybe you can relate to all of these, too.

There are many hopes I have for my boys.  I hope my kids never feel the deep disappointments I did growing up.  I hope their hearts are never broken.  I hope that after they cry, they will always know there is someone there to help them.  I hope they always feel loved.  I hope when they grow up, they do only the things that they are passionate about.

There are many hopes I have for my marriage.  I hope my husband always knows how loved he is.  I hope he knows what a personal victory it is for me when I make him laugh.  I hope he knows how truly happy he makes me, each and everyday.

There are many hopes I have for our world.  I hope people know they have to be the change in the world.  We have heard that before, but I don’t think people understand how true it is.  Change starts with us.  If you want our roads to be safer, be that person who doesn’t text and drive.  Be the person who lets someone merge ahead of you.  If you want kindness in kids’ sports, then show that kindness to others.  Each change we make starts with a little step from us.  My hope is that we all start taking our own little steps towards the hopes we have.  The actions we put behind our hopes sows our future reality.

I’m wishing you the happiest of holidays.  Take this time to reflect on your year and to think about what you hope for too.