Minnesota Prairie Roots

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

WILL 2019 DIFFER from 2018? My hope is that it will.

I hope for less hate, for more understanding and acceptance and an ability to see individuals.

I hope for more listening, less talking. More empathy and compassion, less self-centeredness. More kindness, less meanness.

Less narcissism.

I hope for words that uplift and encourage, not break down and discourage. No gossip/talking behind people’s backs. No silence when compassionate words would help. But no judgment either. No controlling and acting like you have all the answers and making darn sure everyone knows that you have all the answers.

Instead, embrace. Appreciate. Like. Love.

These are difficult times. But these are also times of possibilities. We each have within us the power to treat strangers and those we love with respect and decency. Hold a door. Flash a smile. Hug. Inquire without interjecting your experience, your challenge, into conversation. Make it about someone else, not you. Listen. Care.

When mean words slam into conversation, open your mouth. Be that voice which doesn’t alienate but rather opens the heart to understanding.

Hope is more than a wish. It’s optimism and expectancy and trusting that things will get better. I hold hope for 2019. How about you?

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Rancho Deluxe Z Garden in Mason City, Iowa, features an eclectic mix of art with some powerful messages. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo September 2014.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

© Copyright 2018 Audrey Kletscher Helbling