Although typically walking home from elementary school in November, 1959, I instead waited in the building’s entry as snowflakes flew sideways past the front door. Mother would pick me up that day. On either side of the narrow passage were windowed display cases, the contents of which changed from time to time. That particular day, words not typically encountered by fourth graders like me were thumbtacked inside along with an explanation of their meanings. One lengthy word caught my eye. I decided to memorize how to spell the unfamiliar word, and began to repeat the letters over and over again until Mother arrived.

It’s odd that seemingly insignificant events in life can reappear in our consciousness over a lifetime. Recollection of those few minutes has resurfaced for me countless times during the sixty-five years since. Each time the word comes to mind, the letters are recited in silence as they were back then. O-P-T-I-M-I-S-T-I-C.

A separate but relatable memory originated four years later in mid-November of 1963 when my father’s cousin paid a visit to my grandmother. She looked troubled. He asked, “Aunt Hazel, you look concerned. What’s the matter?”

My grandmother responded, “I’m worried about President Kennedy. He has a very dark cloud hanging over him.” How she came to fret over what was to happen the following week has remained a mystery in our family.

As we look toward the future, worry may be present about dark clouds we sense in the world or have experienced in our lives. Optimism can be illusive. Yet help is available, even at times when hopefulness seems to fade. It can be discovered in a word found in the entry of Jefferson Elementary in 1959 as well as what David included in verse 6 of the 23rd Psalm. It speaks directly to us in both good and troubling times: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” As a shepherd, David recognized that sheep were vulnerable and depended on him for comfort and protection. In parallel fashion, David turned to God for comfort and guidance in his life. We can do the same.

Optimism and hope toward what the future holds is available if we take a moment to ask for it. And, if we will trust in Him.

Post Script: The morning after drafting this column, a clue to a ten-letter word for “a positive feeling about the future” appeared in an online crossword. The juxtaposition of the clue with thoughts written a day earlier felt purposeful. The word has not been encountered in crosswords during recent years. A different clue that does recur frequently, however, relates to a four-letter word for “a sign of the future.” I plan to accept stumbling across the word OPTIMISTIC one day after writing this column as an OMEN for our collective future.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.