December 31, 2007
Dear Family and Friends:
Jambo! Guten Tag! Shalom! Namaste! Hola! Ciao! Chao!
Salam! Bonjour! Dia Duit! Ni Hao! Konichiwa! Jullay! Hello!
Hailing from a dozen countries this year, the Wrights of Denver are excited to offer our warmest international “hello” and belated best wishes for your New Year. Yes, it’s the 31st of December again, and as all of your wonderful Holiday letters come streaming in the door, we hope you will accept our “11th hour” update for what has been a wonderful year of growth, transition, and inspiration. Outside there are deep snow drifts remnant of a beautiful Christmas morning, and as we take turns clacking away at this computer contraption between games of Ping-Pong, chess, and watching the BBC series “Planet Earth” (a sweet Christmas gift), our thoughts are with you all… You have captured our imagination!
If a holiday letter came with a theme, “Family Togetherness” might convey the message we have received from you all, and would also be our message in return. In this time, perhaps more than any in the past, togetherness with support and kindness transforms common hours into meaningful and memorable moments. While the state of our world today compared to a few years ago gives pause, hope builds in our hearts for peace in 2008, and we have much to be grateful for... We are healthy and here, and the five of us are grateful to be together this Christmas season and fortunate to have made stories and memories together throughout Kenya’s wild terrain and in San Francisco over Thanksgiving. We were also grateful to be with some of you this year in these journeys and returns.
In summary of the year: Helen Wright’s notable 80th birthday and retirement from 40 years as an organist at First Presbyterian Church in Coshocton where she was canonized as “Saint Helen” (not like the mountain); Pat and Bob are currently keeping their humor while enjoying Hawaii after volunteering in China and enduring some ups and downs in their health; Elizabeth (still affectionately known as “Bit” or “Bitty”) has graduated from Littleton High School and matriculated with the University of Colorado at Boulder; Perry or “Coach” is now the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Colorado College after returning from a tour through Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Kenya, and England; Elliott also gathered some global stories this year and is engaged to Rachel Lindenberg and living in California where Rachel is a doctoral student at Stanford and Elliott works with Sempervirens Fund to preserve Redwood Forests and plant trees; Steve has been giving a variety of medical talks around the country this year amidst several threats that he will be publishing his book someday; and Annie, after tackling two-thousand-and-seven tasks in 2007, has officially accomplished the impossible task of turning our garden into something beautiful. (See the stories at our family site: http://www.wrightings.blogspot.com/)
Family Highlights & 20/20 Hindsights for the year:
1. “Composting,” according to Steve, is “the pinnacle of western civilization.”
2. “Honeycrisp Apples,” according to Annie, “are by far the best varietal in the whole world.”
3. The three most important words in a relationship are: “Maybe you’re right.”
4. Most worthy book of the year: “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson.
5. Best song of the year: “Dance Tonight,” by Paul McCartney.
6. Check out http://www.youtube.com/ and type-in “Residential Skiing on Christmas.” Good stuff.
7. How ‘bout them Colorado Rockies? Rocktober was the best month of the year.
8. The Wrights remain mystified by Joe Bidden’s lack of popularity
9. Go to the REI garage sales…on second thought, don’t. We’ll take care of it.
10. There is no greater joy than to dance, sing, and shout with Kenyan kiddos.
In conclusion, Perry offered the following insightful and wise comments:
“What can I say, it was a good year; and we’re looking forward to another good year…Goodbye.”
Much love, peace, and welcoming best wishes to all,
Dear Family and Friends:
Jambo! Guten Tag! Shalom! Namaste! Hola! Ciao! Chao!
Salam! Bonjour! Dia Duit! Ni Hao! Konichiwa! Jullay! Hello!
Hailing from a dozen countries this year, the Wrights of Denver are excited to offer our warmest international “hello” and belated best wishes for your New Year. Yes, it’s the 31st of December again, and as all of your wonderful Holiday letters come streaming in the door, we hope you will accept our “11th hour” update for what has been a wonderful year of growth, transition, and inspiration. Outside there are deep snow drifts remnant of a beautiful Christmas morning, and as we take turns clacking away at this computer contraption between games of Ping-Pong, chess, and watching the BBC series “Planet Earth” (a sweet Christmas gift), our thoughts are with you all… You have captured our imagination!
If a holiday letter came with a theme, “Family Togetherness” might convey the message we have received from you all, and would also be our message in return. In this time, perhaps more than any in the past, togetherness with support and kindness transforms common hours into meaningful and memorable moments. While the state of our world today compared to a few years ago gives pause, hope builds in our hearts for peace in 2008, and we have much to be grateful for... We are healthy and here, and the five of us are grateful to be together this Christmas season and fortunate to have made stories and memories together throughout Kenya’s wild terrain and in San Francisco over Thanksgiving. We were also grateful to be with some of you this year in these journeys and returns.
In summary of the year: Helen Wright’s notable 80th birthday and retirement from 40 years as an organist at First Presbyterian Church in Coshocton where she was canonized as “Saint Helen” (not like the mountain); Pat and Bob are currently keeping their humor while enjoying Hawaii after volunteering in China and enduring some ups and downs in their health; Elizabeth (still affectionately known as “Bit” or “Bitty”) has graduated from Littleton High School and matriculated with the University of Colorado at Boulder; Perry or “Coach” is now the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Colorado College after returning from a tour through Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Kenya, and England; Elliott also gathered some global stories this year and is engaged to Rachel Lindenberg and living in California where Rachel is a doctoral student at Stanford and Elliott works with Sempervirens Fund to preserve Redwood Forests and plant trees; Steve has been giving a variety of medical talks around the country this year amidst several threats that he will be publishing his book someday; and Annie, after tackling two-thousand-and-seven tasks in 2007, has officially accomplished the impossible task of turning our garden into something beautiful. (See the stories at our family site: http://www.wrightings.blogspot.com/)
Family Highlights & 20/20 Hindsights for the year:
1. “Composting,” according to Steve, is “the pinnacle of western civilization.”
2. “Honeycrisp Apples,” according to Annie, “are by far the best varietal in the whole world.”
3. The three most important words in a relationship are: “Maybe you’re right.”
4. Most worthy book of the year: “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson.
5. Best song of the year: “Dance Tonight,” by Paul McCartney.
6. Check out http://www.youtube.com/ and type-in “Residential Skiing on Christmas.” Good stuff.
7. How ‘bout them Colorado Rockies? Rocktober was the best month of the year.
8. The Wrights remain mystified by Joe Bidden’s lack of popularity
9. Go to the REI garage sales…on second thought, don’t. We’ll take care of it.
10. There is no greater joy than to dance, sing, and shout with Kenyan kiddos.
In conclusion, Perry offered the following insightful and wise comments:
“What can I say, it was a good year; and we’re looking forward to another good year…Goodbye.”
Much love, peace, and welcoming best wishes to all,
The Wrights (Annie, Steve, Elliott, Perry and Elizabeth)
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