In its “The Morning” online column yesterday, the first day of 2026, The New York Times wrote about “Your hopes,” beginning with this sentence: “America has become a country of cynics. At least that’s what studies show.”

There’s no question that for me, personally, hope has been tough to summon up. I worry often about the state of our country, the erosion of our democracy, the threat of continued climate change, inflation, the course change in vaccinations and the threat to our health, AI and what it’s doing to us as a civilization are at the top of my list. My worry meter is often at 10.

Nevertheless, The Times article made clear that, according to The Hope Research Center at the University of Colorado (who knew such a place existed?), hope is “one of the strongest predictors of well-being.” It went on to claim that “[m]ore hopeful people may actually grow taller than less hopeful people.”

Regardless of your interest in gaining height, it seems to me that beginning 2026 with a plan to be more hopeful, and to find reasons to hope when we can, is far better for our psyches than dwelling in a state of gloom.

So, buck up, rewatch the movie “Annie” and sing along with FDR, Annie, Daddy Warbucks and Eleanor when they harmonize over “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.”