Carrying the Spirit: Staff Reflections on the Year Ahead
To round out our reflections for this Advent season, your Alumni Association staff pondered: How can we carry the spirit of this season—its hope, peace, joy, and love—into the year ahead? Take a moment to explore these reflections and carry their messages with you.
Community, Togetherness, and Belonging
As we move through this season of hope, peace, joy, and love, I’m reminded how lucky we are to be part of such a vibrant Bronco community... one that lifts each other up and strives to make the world brighter every day. My wish for the year ahead is that we continue to carry that same spirit forward: showing up for one another with kindness, celebrating each other’s wins, and finding joy in the simple moments that connect us. Once A Bronco, Always A Bronco!
The holiday season always reminds me of our deep need for connection, and the collective effervescence that fills the air when we gather to celebrate and share moments of joy. There's something powerful about being together that turns ordinary moments into meaningful experiences. The magic of the season isn't something we can experience alone, but it's something that we build together and is a reminder that we're part of something bigger than ourselves.
I love the holidays because they display the power of optimism, empathy, and kindness. They're an annual reminder for me to pause and ask: what can I do in this moment to make this situation more joyful for myself and others?
Kindness and Connection
Every holiday season brings a smile to my face because you can feel the spirit it brings: people look each other in the eye a little longer, say hello a little louder, smile a bit bigger, and wish each other well. I hope that we can carry that feeling of connection with one another into the year ahead, bringing a little extra spirit to everyone we encounter.
During this season, I am reminded of the ways I like to express and receive love. Some of my loved ones enjoy gifts, while others appreciate quality time the most. Especially now, I enjoy being extra thoughtful in expressing various forms of love to those I care about. As this season closes in 2025, take a little time to compliment someone or share a few kind words. If you would like to enjoy quality time with loved ones, this is a great time to reach out or even set something on the calendar. Be brave to share love in every form that means the most to those you care about.
The joy and love of the season are the easiest to lose once the decorations are packed away, but they are relevant all year round. Here’s one idea:
The Power of Small Gestures: Remember that feeling of picking out the perfect gift? You can replicate that feeling and make someone’s day by giving small gestures of appreciation throughout the year. A handwritten note to a neighbor, dropping off cookies at the local fire station, or a compliment to a store clerk. These little sparks of joy really add up. It all boils down to making the spirit of the season a set of daily actions, not just a memory. We have to actively choose to be the joy we want to see.
We can carry the spirit of this season into the year ahead by keeping small acts of kindness, generosity, and presence at the center of our daily lives. By sharing hope, joy, peace, and love in the little moments, we let the holiday spirit guide us all year long.
Seeking Peace and Purpose
The holiday season always reminds me how precious time with family truly is. While it's a busy time, I try to slow down, soak in the little moments, and create memories that last far beyond the season. Whether we’re enjoying our favorite traditions or starting new ones, the joy comes from simply being together.
I hope this time brings you rest, comfort, and the chance to regroup after a long year. May your days be filled with laughter, love, and the kind of moments that stay with you forever.
Advent invites us to slow down, cultivate patience, and make space spiritually amid the busyness of the Christmas season. My hope is for each of us to carry that same intentionality into the new year, so we may stay present, open, and mindful throughout 2026.
I saw a bumper sticker in Santa Cruz recently that said, “I’d rather be here, now.”
Amen.
As we look toward the year ahead, I hope we carry a sense of peace that doesn’t depend on the world being calm. Jesus offers us a deeper peace, the kind He speaks of in John 14:27, a peace that steadies us even when life feels chaotic. If we can pause, breathe, and let that peace flow through us to others, we can help create small pockets of calm in a busy world.
A new year gives us a fresh page, and I love the reset—it’s a chance to realign with the person I want to be. Holding onto the holiday season’s hope, peace, joy, and love, I’m motivated to bring those values into the months ahead. If I can carry even a little of that spirit into my daily interactions, the year already feels brighter.
Sustaining Hope, Joy, and Love
While these feelings seem so amplified right now - hope, joy, peace, and love - they do not need to be a temporary emphasis. I am hopeful that our community can continue to carry on throughout the year with grateful, compassionate, and thoughtful hearts. It’s important to be a source of support for one another regardless of the season! Go Broncos!
For me, carrying the season’s spirit into the year ahead starts with choosing empathy and giving others (and ourselves) a little more grace. People are human and generally trying to do their best. When we commit to show up in this way, hope, peace, joy, and love naturally stay with us throughout the year.
As we enter the holiday season, it’s important to pause and remember that not everyone experiences this time of year with the same joy and ease. While the holidays often bring celebration and togetherness, they can also be a season of loneliness, grief, or stress for those who are struggling-whether due to loss, distance from loved ones, or difficult circumstances. Let’s carry a spirit of compassion, reaching out with kindness and understanding to those who may need a little extra light this season.
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12
Jesus was born to show us how to live. His inspiring example of love and forgiveness is our gift to focus on during the Advent season. I wish you peace, love, and hope this Christmas and in the New Year.
Putting a Bow on the Advent Season
I hope you found these reflections meaningful and insightful, with each offering a unique perspective rooted in the themes of Advent. More importantly, I hope they inspired a moment of reflection for you as well.
Wishing you Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas, a joyful New Year, and as always- GO BRONCOS!
With gratitude,