Day 27: Reflections on Hope - Week 4
Now it's your turn to again reflect and catch up on this fourth week of hope.
Christmas has come and gone for another year, while celebrations of Hannukah and Kwanzaa continue for several more days. It won’t be long before 2025 will have started in earnest and the busyness of work, home, family, and community will pick back up. But in this liminal time before Christmas and New Years, many of us have time to think about how we hope to shape the year that marks completion of the first quarter of the new century.
It’s unfathomable to me that so much of the 21st century is already behind us. In Sunday’s post, I’ll share some of the highlights that mark this first twenty-five years. I’m hopeful that those of us who hold progressive values will make the second twenty-five years a time of equity, justice, and compassion for all.
Let me be clear, I’m not so naive to believe that we’re off to a great start with that. But I’m determined to do my part, and I trust you will too. My hope is dependent on my trust of each of you, just as your hope should be dependent on me. We can do this. We will do this! TOGETHER!
Below is a recap of Week 4 of “Thirty Days of Hope,” which includes the day’s quote, a brief excerpt from the day’s letter, and a daily reflection. If you’re interested in reading more from a particular day, click the “Read More” link below the excerpt and that will take to you to the post for that day.
I hope that wisdom of others and the reflection about hope, will help you find and sustain hope in your life. And as always, please share your reflections with me when you do. We all need to learn from each other.
With hope in my heart,
Annette
Day 21: Did You Maintain Hope
Day 21 Reflection
What does the winter solstice mean to you? How might you honor this day that requires us to bring our own light?
Think about a loved one who has passed this year and remember the light they brought into the world. Write a story about a time when they shared light with you?
As you reflect on Dorothy’s poem, how would you answer God’s question, “Did you maintain hope?” Are there strategies you can employ in the new year that will make it more likely you can answer, “yes?”
Day 22: A Realistic Hope
Day 22 Reflection
How do you balance hope and expectations? Write about a time when your reality didn’t meet what you had hoped for. Is there a time when you didn’t let yourself hope and the reality exceeded your expectations? How do you reconcile those two experiences? Which one serves you better in the long run?
Day 23: Anchoring Hope in Values
Day 23 Reflection
Reflect on three to five core values or intentions that guide your life. Write them down and consider how they influence your decisions and goals.
Choose a goal that reflects one of your values. For example, if your value is “create courageously,” (it’s OK to copy one or more of ours), your goal might be to complete and publicly share an art or photography project that expresses your values, even if, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt from today’s quote, “you’ll be criticized anyway.”
Set up a plan to assess on a regularly basis how your actions align with your values. Are your hopes and efforts consistent with what matters most to you?
Day 24: Finding Hope in Silence
Day 24 Reflection
Enjoy some moments of silence.
Day 25: Celebrating Hope
Day 25 Reflection
Just enjoy the day!
Day 26: Relaxing Into Hope
Day 26 Reflection
Allow yourself to dream a little today. Give yourself permission to do a jig-saw puzzle, watch a fun movie, sit quietly and watch the birds, read a print book, look up at the night sky, take a bubble bath—do whatever you can to just let yourself relax. Enjoy yourself.
With hope in my heart,
Annette
