With the holiday season in full swing, I thought it would be nice to reflect with gratitude on the gifts of Occupy.  Fluffy, right?  I know, but ‘tis the season so let’s fluff it up this letter.  Consider this your holiday card from me.  I’ve even included a picture of my adorable kid, just to make it warm and cozy.

As we move toward the new year, a winter in which to hunker down indoors and get some real work done, and the spring of promise which most Occupations are busy planning for already, it is important to pause and make thankful acknowledgements of the things that we – as a movement – are undoubtedly blessed to have, gifts that warm us with the same excitement and delight as a warm mug of hot cocoa after a day of snow fun.

Each Other:  The people who have stood with Occupy, in body or in spirit, in words or in action, are our most fundamental gift.  As with each strand of thread, red, white, and blue, that holds fast together, woven in intricate detail, and waves proudly over our nation, we are the fabric of Occupy.  We hail from all walks of life, with all types of histories, and all kinds of motivators.  We each wear (or one day will wear) the map of our personal journey on our aging faces; our hearts both heavy and light with the many stories of our lives.  We all began somewhere individually unique, and we will all end the same way, but we find ourselves sharing the here and now.

In this moment, we are writing the same story at the same time in history.  We walk together on this path, giving ourselves and allowing others to give themselves to us, stripped of all the barriers that previously separated us, and pledging our strength and loyalty to one another – out of nothing more than a shared ideal, a vision of freedom and equality that trumps all other ideologies, so much so that we employ all our talents, resources, and courage to secure it.  We are the single brushstrokes, and the resulting image is that which bring us together.

Our Vision:  Though our ideas are not original to us, instead handed down on parchment in ink, they are the single lens through which we view the necessity for what we do.  The simple ideas of freedom and equality, etched more than two centuries ago our hearts and minds, are rights that are entitled to all people, regardless of any categorically defining characteristic.  There is nothing, anywhere that stands as a reasonable excuse to deny any person any such bestowment.  The right to live, the right to work, the right to be treated fairly, the chance to fulfill your potential, the chance to chase your dream, and the chance to write your own story.

We know we cannot guarantee everyone success.  We know that we cannot create a society that rewards the lazy and apathetic.  We also know, however, that when the diligent, the determined, the focused, and the dedicated are applying themselves earnestly and is still managing to lose everything, something has gone awry.  We see the road to success has somehow become a hamster wheel of debt and market servitude.

We see ourselves and our world as a place where people have the choice, the opportunity, to succeed or to fail.  We believe that one’s success or failure should be a direct result of their application of self, and that their labors should not be made more or less arduous or rewarding by any predetermined circumstance.  We believe that ethic and effort should yield positive results and that those who manipulate the fates of others and capitalize on the deck they stack should be penalized for their exploitation.  What’s more, we believe that this world is possible.  It is in this belief, so deep and so true, that we find the resolve to push forward.

Our Resolve:  Together with one another, and with our vision so clear in its motive, we know beyond a shadow of any doubt, that we can win this.  We can change our world.  We have seen it time and time again in our human history.  From defeating the cold of an ice age to surviving the winter of a Cold War, we have seen the best of mankind rise up and triumph over tremendous odds and powerful adversity.  We do not, even for a moment, perceive this cause as lost or this task as insurmountable.  We can see the future.  Though we may not yet know how we will meet this victory, our tactical maneuvers improvised daily, we know that if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, we will arrive at our destiny.

In the mayhem of the moment, the intensity of the fight, the filtering of emails, and the general hustle and bustle of the revolution, let us not overlook the real treasures of the season, the season of change and unity.  We should take a moment to cherish each other and the inspiration and drive we offer one another, to stand in awe of the vision drafted by our forefathers and still glistening in our grasp, and to bow our heads in reverence of the human spirit, its unfaltering propensity toward goodness and hope, and its unstoppable pursuit of justice.  Carry these appreciations with you, and let them adorn your spirit throughout the holidays and the entire revolution.