It is almost Groundhog day as I write this. That is the day when all of America watches as two men in top hats and suits from Victorian England reach into the ground and pull out a giant rodent to find out if it will see its shadow. If Mr. Groundhog does see it then we are supposed to have six more weeks of Winter, but if he doesn’t we are supposed to have an early Spring. Of course, everyone knows that we will have six more weeks of Winter either way. We all know that a cubby groundhog has no power to bring about an early Spring. Still, every year we watch to see what the furry weather forecaster will do.

Why do we do this? I think that the main reason is that at heart we human beings are creatures of hope. We hope for an early Spring. We hope for a better life. We hope for a better future for our children. We hope for a better world. We even hope that we can grow into better people ourselves. And it is this hope that makes all the others possible.

You see, we can grow into better people. We can do so with each choice we make. We can do so with each act of kindness we do and each gesture of goodness we give. All our other hopes rest on it too. Only by being better people can we create a better future for our children. Only by being better people can we make a better life for ourselves. Only by being better people can we build a better world. Only by being better people and sharing our love and light with everyone can me make it feel like Spring even in the middle of Winter.

Yes, we human beings are creatures of hope, but we are also creatures of action. Let us all keep our hopes high then and our spirits strong. Let us all keep our hearts loving and our actions kind. Let us all build a better world, a better future, a better life, and a better soul within us. God is smiling down on us and ready to help us every step of the way. All we need do is begin.