Find peace for the holidays, the New Year, and the future

As we wind down another year, it feels to me like a repeat of 2022. At that time, my publisher’s letter for our November/December issue began with “Where do we go from here?” Two years later, in the same issue, I have to write again with a sorrowed heart. Many of you, like us, are still dealing with the aftermath of 2022. Then, we got Hurricane Helene, and now we are cleaning up after Hurricane Milton.
Time sure flies when nature is keeping you on your toes.
I was also reminded of how fast the months go by while traveling in mid-September and seeing holiday cookies and decorations on display already.
Many of the stores I browsed through were advertising special pre-holiday offers for computers, phones, and other electronics. Yes, people were already shopping for them as well as for the holiday cookies… in September.
I understand that people are hungry for “special offers,” “big savings,” and “incredible values.” However, when I later attended a worship service in a small village, there were an awful lot of empty seats. I had to ask myself: What do we truly consider to be values in this life, and where does all of this lead us? Why is it that electronics sales often excite us more than spending time in prayer, expressing gratitude, and asking for the blessing of peace?
We returned to Sanibel on October 5, just in time to pack up and secure what we could and leave our island home for a mandatory hurricane evacuation. Having to evacuate is traumatizing, but staying alive is what counts. My prayers go out to all the families who lost a loved one.
As I have said in previous post-hurricane letters, we can take a lot of hits. We bounce back even when there does not seem to be much hope. We are grateful for the things that really matter, especially after times of great struggle.
We really should strive to “do gratitude” every day. During the rest of the year, we tend to take it all for granted. One of the greatest gifts we have is religious freedom, and one of the highest duties we have is to pray for the peace of our nation and world. Could it be that we have allowed our “values” to shift from the spiritual to the material? If so, it is not hard to get back on track.
If you are a praying person like me, start by expressing gratitude to God before you present Him with your list of wants and needs. Doing so will change your prayer life. And all of us can certainly show gratitude to those around us. When was the last time you thanked an Amazon driver for getting your packages delivered so quickly? How about telling the grocery bagger what a great job they did sorting and packing your goods? Think of the people you tend to take for granted, and go out of your way to express gratitude. You would be surprised how a few simple words of recognition and appreciation will give others positive feelings toward you and toward their job. It will also do wonders for creating more peace in your own life. Trust me—I’ve tried it, and it works.
 
I am especially grateful for you, our TOTI Media readers, who make our entire team here feel so appreciated. Your support, oftentimes by simply subscribing to and reading our family of magazines and liking our social media, means so much to us. So, let me “do some gratitude” here by thanking you and saying that I am looking forward to a great 2025 when TOTI Media will be celebrating its 30th year of publishing.
Thank you also to all the first responders in Southwest Florida who continue to show courage and perseverance in helping our area to recover. And thank you to the TOTI Media team, our loyal advertisers, and subscribers. Because of you, we are still here.
Dear readers and friends, let us spend the next few months of holidays and the end of 2024 in gratitude together. May you experience peace during this season and beyond.