With so many jobs lost, dreams deferred, and savings evaporated by the financial meltdown, wars continuing on several fronts, and uncertainty so prevalent, it’s useful to look back for perspective.

In December 1944, University of Hawaii Professor Carey D. Miller sat down and wrote a Christmas letter to friends conveying thoughts for the Christmas season.

“That much hoped-for-end-of-the-war seems to be receeding, though the general situation is more favorable than last year,” she began.

The explained that after finding herself annoyed about several small things, “I tried to be a cheerful Job-ana and think of all the things I had to be thankful for.”

And this became the theme of her Christmas letter.

Among the things Miller expressed thanks for:

• “…a good job and sufficient health and energy to carry on.”

• “…a comfortable home of our own. The housing situation is so acute in Honolulu that we feel almost guilty to have a spare room, even though it is frequently used by newcomers and visitors.”

• “…space to raise most of our own fruits and vegetables which give us a better diet and means jut that much less food to be shipped in.”

• “…the (household) help that we have….A girl from one of the other Islands who is attending business school is with us for the second year. She prepares the evening meal and washes the dishes. Her repertoire is limited, but she really does very well.”

• “And we have a yard man!”

• “…it has not been necessary to restore the black out. We can now turn on any kind of lights anywhere, any time! (Except, of course, during an air raid alarm).”

• “…I am thankful for good musical programs whether from regular records or rebroadcasts of such programs as the N.B.C. symphony concerts.”

• “…the event which will evoke the greatest thankfulness will be the end of the war.”