As children, many of us grow up with the tradition of writing letters to Santa Claus. And, I was an epic Santa letter writer. The words just spilled out on the page, along with my heartfelt explanations of why I should most definitely be on the nice list.
From the ages of five to eight, a pony always featured high on my list until I got Duke, the most beautiful bay Morgan horse ever. The next year it was a Scottish Terrier, who ended up being my childhood best friend. But, there were also years when I did not get what was at the top of my wish list. Santa (and my lovely parents) did an amazing job of managing expectations and realities.
Snowed in this week from our epic April snowstorm, I thought a lot about these initial literary ventures — my Santa letters. And, I also thought about what my political wish list would be. Here are the five things that would go on my list — some realistic and some more aspirational:
An immediate end to the brutal war in Gaza that has impacted millions of innocent and vulnerable citizens. Even though World Central Kitchen has temporarily suspended its Gaza operations, consider donating to support the life-changing work that they do around the globe.
A renewed commitment to addressing climate change in meaningful ways. I am not necessarily the most conscious environmentalist in my daily life — anyone who drives by my house in the middle of the night can attest to that with lights glowing at all hours. But, I do recognize that the environment remains our world’s greatest existential crisis. For anyone interested in this issue, consider attending the wonderful EcoSunday event at the First Congregational Church of Wolfeboro on Sunday, April 14th.
And, finally, like so many Americans who find solace in our vaunted rule of law, I hope and pray that the court system delivers justice to Trump on the myriad charges that he faces.
– Bree J. Schuette
