Hope for the New Year
according to Dean Deb
In the midst of ALL that is going on in the world, it is important we maintain a sense of
hope. Hope looks and feels different to each of us. To me, it’s an optimistic state of mind and sense of trust that life is generally positive and people are inherently good. Life, in my opinion, is not always fair. People, are sometimes misguided, ignorant, or uniformed. Our ability to navigate the curve balls that life and people throw at us is what brings me
hope. To be resilient in the face of adversity, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable with one another, to give grace, to care for ourselves and others, all bring me hope.
Hope is active and not something we can wait around to find. What brings me joy often inspires hope. I find joy in being with my family and playing with my new grand puppy Maximilian von Sporkenfloof! I find joy in watching an episode of Schitt’s creek or the Equalizer. I even find joy in talking with my 85-year-old father on the phone and hearing him curse in Italian about someone who cut him off in the grocery store while riding his scooter. Yes, my father still drives – a truck and a scooter! Laughter and humor bring me joy, both of which positively impact my daily mood and emotional state. Finally, witnessing my staff and our students gracefully navigate the rocky start to this semester bring me immense joy.
Let’s try to laugh more this week – even if it’s at ourselves. Let’s be intentional in our efforts to find joy in each day, inspiring
hope for all of us.
