On the morning after Thanksgiving, it’s family protocol in our house (as I’m sure it is in many others’) to gather whatever family members are around for a breakfast round of leftover pumpkin pie, cornbread, and dinner rolls. This year, this meant our family of five and my mother-in-law sat together that Friday morning. As we munched, we reflected on what a nice Thanksgiving it had been, and she shared her hope that we can be together like this every year.
“The day after Thanksgiving should be Hopegiving,” exclaimed my 9-year-old son, and tears promptly sprang to my eyes.
Hopegiving. A day to give hope. Hope that we’re safe and together and healthy in years to come. Hope that the world can be a loving and accepting place. Hope that we can live and work with enthusiasm and engagement, and find satisfaction and worth in our daily lives.
Giving thanks is important; it’s powerful to appreciate and celebrate what we have. But I love the optimism and empowerment in the concept of Hopegiving, the sense that we can not just appreciate what we have, but live and work to see things change for the better; a family and community celebration where we not only share our recognition of what is, but our visions of what could be. How motivating, how proactive that could be.
So in the spirit of Hopegiving, I share with you, my Purpl family, my hope that you have a year of joy and meaning (whether it be continued or newfound), and that we can be there to celebrate it together.
