Anticipation for Tomorrow
By Rep. Kristi Noem
In our family, Christmas morning begins with the ring of a bell. No one could leave their rooms and see what Santa had delivered until that bell was rung. I remember our kids waiting in eager anticipation, hoping and trusting that they’d been good enough all year for Santa to leave them the toys they had asked for.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the excitement of those mornings recently – probably because it isn’t quite the same now that the kids have grown up a bit. But it’s made me think: what would our world be like if we all carried the hope and anticipation of Christmas morning with us every day?
I admit it would be very hard to do. The world so easily weighs us down. Whether we’re talking about a struggling economy, the threat of terrorism, or challenges at home, it is natural to become cynical, frustrated, and even angry. I know I’ve felt that way a time or two. In fact, it’s why I ran for Congress in the first place. I was so frustrated with all the administration was doing and desperately wanted to change the direction of this country. I still do and I still believe we can.
We live in the greatest country on earth. We believe that family is the cornerstone of a society and that freedom is not a privilege, but a right. We believe opportunity is all that is needed to build a healthy economy. And we remain committed to the American Dream, doing everything we can so our children and grandchildren can have a better life. Nowhere else in the world are those beliefs so ingrained into an entire country’s way of life.
When the bell rings at the Noem house this Christmas, I will be saying a prayer of thanks. While America’s anticipation for tomorrow may not be the same as a child’s on Christmas morning, we continue to believe there is hope for a better tomorrow in this country. Of course not everything is happening as we’d like it to in this country, but we fundamentally trust that we are empowered to change it. I pray we never lose that hope.
From my entire family to yours, I hope you have a very blessed Christmas and I pray that in all the busyness of this day, you take the time to celebrate the root of all hope, Jesus Christ.
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