Maybe Next Year?

I got most of what I wanted this year for Christmas. No, I'm not talking about stuff, things, packages. I did get a lot of great gifts from friends and relatives, but the thing I most enjoyed was a relaxing day in which I saw no one but my wife and daughters, played with them and their new games (almost all of which were oriented around either Harry Potter or learning chess), and ate a glorious dinner cooked by the Good Doctor. All in all, a fantastic day.

But I didn't get peace on earth. Neither did I get goodwill toward all people. I'm hoping that things like elections in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and (later in January) Iraq will be significant steps in that direction. Perhaps new leadership in the PLO will also help (although it could just as plausibly hurt). For sure, my new Christmas wish for 2005 is that it will find us much closer to peace than this year. The upshot: Watching my daughters drop tons of change into various Salvation Army kettles to help the poor, and then watching them on Christmas Day pick out animals to purchase for Heifer International to teach the poor husbandry, I did catch myself thinking that with children like these growing into compassionate and thoughtful adults, maybe peace can be on the horizon.