Amid global turmoil, the arrival of new life — and the togetherness of community — offers a powerful reminder that hope can still take root, says Lesley Morrison

As the old year turned into the new, what did you wish for? Did you, perchance, wish for a better, safer world for your children and grandchildren? And for all children and grandchildren?

When the world seems so unstable, “A happy, good and hopeful new year” seemed an appropriate greeting. Retaining hope amidst all the gloom is essential. With the news often focussing on the dire stories of the day, we need to find ways of celebrating the positive things of life, of nurturing seeds of hope.

Babies help us to do this. Whether babies in our own family or in the wider human family, new babies teach us what is important. They rely on us for feeding, watering and keeping them clean, but their gift is helping us to remember what really matters. When we watch a new baby getting pleasure from looking at the patterns of a tree’s branches against the sky, or smiling into someone’s face, or relishing being able to stretch and move their limbs, we share that excitement and feel better.

We are........

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