Wishing You Peace

Today is Christmas, for those of us who celebrate it. 

Like everything else this year, Christmas is different for us. We almost always travel around this time of year, to see either my family or my wife's (sometimes both). Not this year. We're blessed to have all three of our kids at home with us. By the end of next month, all three will be out of the house, back to school, all in different states. So having them here -- safe and healthy, soon to be off again -- is extra special.

We've spent the week watching our favorite Christmas specials and movies, drinking eggnog with rum or bourbon, and enjoying being with each other. We look for small reasons to be happy.

On this day, for the last few years, I've tried to take the opportunity to wish you all Peace. It's a common phrase at Christmas -- "Peace on Earth" -- and I try to wish everyone Peace in their lives, especially "inner peace." With so much happening around us, some "outer peace" is not a bad idea, either. So I wish you both kinds.

There's another Christmas phase that keeps coming to mind these days. It's from the Christmas hymn "O Holy Night," one of my favorites. (And if you're curious, this is my favorite version of it. It was on the first Christmas CD that my wife and I bought after we were married, so many years ago. It brings me lots of nice memories.)

The phrase from the song is "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices." 

You don't have to read too far back into this blog to know that "Hope" is one of the most common words that I've written. I write about research into Follicular Lymphoma treatments, mostly because it gives me hope. (And I hope it gives you hope, too.) These days, that "thrill of hope" has come with every bit of good news about Covid vaccines, treatments, and lower incident numbers, as much as it has come from news about new Follicular Lymphoma treatments. 

We are a weary world, aren't we? And even a small bit of hope brings a thrill, doesn't it?

So there are my wishes for you today.

A more peaceful world all around you.

A peaceful world inside you.

Lots of hope for the future, near and far.

And some small breaks from the weariness of it all.

Thanks for reading. Stay well.