Hope Springs Eternal!
What is your Christmas wish? Is it happiness, world peace, financial in nature or could it pertain to a health related desire? Whatever your wish may be, I hope that this season, in some manner, brings your heart-felt desires into reality. Without dreams or wishes, what excitement would our life hold?
Yes, at times, life can be challenging. Perhaps the greatest gift that others can receive is the gift of hope. Hope springs eternal, as it becomes a driving force to strive toward or to hold onto when all seems lost. If you can see hope in your future, then all the challenges of your life situation(s) do not seem to be too insurmountable. It is when hope is not so evident that all seems lost.
One of the greatest stories of hope for peace and understanding came about in the face of conflict. It is a story which clearly shows that there still exists opportunity in the world for every one of us to better understand our neighbor as well as ourselves and to find common ground, if not for anything else but tolerance. The story is told as follows:
A quick glance at any history book will tell you that peace on earth and good will to men is a pretty tall order. This only serves to make the Christmas Truce of 1914, which occurred during the first year of World War I, even more amazing.
On Christmas Eve 1914, British forces stationed on the Western Front found something unusual in their trenches: a chocolate cake from enemy German troops with a note asking for a ceasefire in order to celebrate Christmas.
The ceasefire, it said, would begin at 7:30 p.m., at which time the Germans would light candles on the parapets of their trenches and put on a Christmas concert.
At 7:30 p.m. on the dot, the Germans rose from their trenches and serenaded the British with Christmas carols. Incredulous at first, the British soon joined in.
Similar events occurred all along the Western Front, without authorization from the higher-ups on either side. German and British soldiers met in No Man’s Land, between the trenches, to exchange gifts and autographs, play soccer and attend to the more somber task of burying their dead. The truce lasted until the end of Christmas Day in some parts of the Western Front; in others, it lasted until New Year’s Day.
And so, when Aunt Ida starts making hostile statements about your sweet potato casserole, or your “favorite” neighbor feels your decorations are not very decorative, I encourage you to remember the Christmas Truce of 1914. If warring soldiers can put aside their differences and embrace one another in the name of Christmas, there’s hope for even the most argumentative family or neighbors to find some common ground.
As this holiday season and year comes to a close, bring hope into your world. Discover the power of a smile, the relevance of offering a helping hand or the changing influence of a compliment given to another. Grab hold of hope’s possibilities knowing that troubles, sorrow and yes even despair will not last forever. Unleash yourself and give your unbridled ability to make a difference in the life of another. By doing so, you will find the true meaning of the holiday season and its power for the potential you bring to the world.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
