By the time you read this, Christmas will be over, and a decade will be ending.  I am usually left with a bit of melancholy after the ornaments are packed away, and my children return to their homes.  The warmth of December’s merriment solemnly fads into the dawn of January cold.

I think many of us face 2020 with a bit of trepidation.  The political rancor will reach such heights it might rival Vesuvius raining fire on Pompeii, reducing all it’s citizens to ashes. By November, if we are not covered in soot, we will celebrate a very thankful Thanksgiving.

After much thought as to my column’s message so soon after a joyous holiday, I have found the cure for the January blahs, Washington’s many eruptions, and other human maladies.  Let’s not pack up December but carry it with us throughout the new year! It is the only way we are going to survive. 

Christmas celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace. Christ taught us the way to courage, gentleness, goodness, and hopefulness. He encouraged us to stand for what is right and not be afraid. He wanted our earthly existence to glorify and exemplify God. 

Susan L. Taylor, the author of Lessons on Living, was asked recently, “Why are we here?”  Her answer was, “God didn’t send us here to be powerless spectators but to become powerful initiators. We are spiritual beings having an earthly experience, and we have the power to break the cycle of negativity that is fueling a very dangerous world… it’s not only possible; it is why we are here.”

There is much every person can do to create a better environment for not only our country but our world.  When we activate our spirit to join what is righteous and godly, we light the path for our children who will inherit this good earth.  

We don’t need to sit on our couches all day watching television or clouds drift by, instead, why not give our time to the betterment of humankind? What good do we do ourselves or others when we watch the news all day? Why not, if we have the time, volunteer at the many facilities that could benefit from our otherwise wasted hours. Become the initiator.

How many of you have a dream you never fulfilled?  Do you have a plan? If so, what is stopping you? It is incredible how many cures, new inventions, famous words, beautiful art, and ideas have come from those who decided to replace a dream with reality. My life was enriched when I finally, after many years of dreaming, wrote an essay.