Best wishes in 2009 to everyone

If ever there was a time to wish anyone the best it is in 2009. Yes, things are hard out there and when it will get better is really anyone's guess.

Someone could rattle off nearly any field of endeavor and very few of them would be unimpacted by the economy and domestic troubles, at virtually every level. However, these are just bad times, and bad times have a way of coming and then going.

Where some might think this is a time of great trial, which I agree it is, I also have to add that this is a moment of opportunity. It may not be a time for folks making a million bucks on a whiz bang idea, or for any markets to come back with a snap of a finger. But, it just might be a good time for people to take stock and live more simply. The things that are important are not those issues that divide people as much as it is those things that unite them.

When this country survived its last Great Depression it was, at its heart, because of the strength of the family unit and the faith that individuals had in themselves, their friends, communities and, dare I say, God. Their faith wasn't the glitzy kind that was here today and gone tomorrow. It was made from much harder stuff.

The challenging economy gives people a good opportunity to build upon character, create stronger family units, forge deeper friendships and maybe bring them closer to faith, whatever faith they believe in.

I wish everyone the very best in 2009. No doubt it will have its fair share of heartache and success. But to come out the other side of a storm always gives new hope for the future. Of all the things that are important for the new year, perhaps hope is the best thing to wish for anyone.

--Jim Purcell
Publisher, The Courier