Hope for a new year

2005 will arrive in a few minutes, and like every new year, it will carry with it the promise of a clean slate and a fresh dose of hope for a better tomorrow. Chances are, of course, that with people being the fallible creatures they are, not much will change any time soon. Still, each new year nonetheless feels like a new beginning, another opportunity to change directions, another opportunity to right our wrongs and heal old wounds.

This year was marked by division: red vs. blue, pro-war vs. anti-war, Yankees vs. Red Sox. The country is split in two, and we need healing more than ever before. For now, there's hope that we can leave the hatred and division behind and start anew in the days and months to come. It's the hope of every New Year's Eve. It's the kind of hope that all of us could use right about now.

I wish you and your loved ones all the best in 2005. Happy New Year, everyone.