The trials, tribulations and tragedies of 2008 have most certainly dampened the inexorable optimism of Americans. The year brought us a plummeting stock market, a failing economy, the real estate crash, the murders of children and a rampaging psycho in a Santa suit who stole the lives of nine innocents. Children died from toxic toys, tainted food and poor judgment. Lives were lost in the Iraq war, to cowardly terrorist acts and in bitter struggles over land and religion abroad. Raging fires destroyed property and personal histories, and the sickening perversions of a man named Josef Fritzl surfaced and shocked us all.

Last year, ugly events jumped out from behind every corner. Just as we calmed our hearts, another crisis emerged to send our adrenaline soaring and our spirits on a nosedive. Now our country stands on shaky legs upon unsure footing as we all wonder what will transpire in 2009 and whether, as an individual, family or business, we will sink or swim.

It is true that money can't buy happiness, but whether through mismanagement or unforeseen circumstances, the lack of it can be crippling. This recession, depression or economic downturn, depending on your perspective, ought to have brought this country to its knees and yet it has not.

It is, however, going to take an enormous effort to pull the country and Americans out of the current funk. However, as John Kennedy put it, "The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly." It is this resilient perspective that will keep this country afloat as we rebuild our economy, our confidence and our standing in the global community.

Most Americans' belief that better times are coming and may already be in the works is evident in a September poll conducted by CNBC. The poll determined that although "a vast majority of Americans, 93 percent, describe the country's current economic condition as 'poor to fair,' two in three Americans are both pessimistic about the economy today and optimistic about the economy for the future."

A few things have changed. Americans can no longer assume that if they do their job well, they'll receive raises in pay, health coverage and that their 401(k)s are safe and secure. One cannot assume that lines of credit, even if extended previously, will remain available, nor that banks, despite their brick-and-mortar appearance of strength, can withstand the current financial storms. Further, although we believe, rather egotistically, that America is on the side of right, we cannot assume that the rest of the world will agree and not attack us.

In addition, taxpayers now know that they can be blackmailed into bailing out institutions that, because of their influence on the job market and retail economy, will not be held accountable for their transgressions but cannot be allowed to fail. One can only hope that as nation we have learned a difficult lesson and that oversight will be the new catchword in 2009 and beyond.

One thing that we can count on is the wondrous power of free speech, which provides sufficient friction over ideas, cultural values, and political ideologies to fuel the American think tank. This unrelenting energy source defines us as a nation of purpose. We share a fierce drive to make a reality that tomorrow can always be better than today for each and every one of us.

Like many this past year I've bitten my cuticles to the quick. I've checked and rechecked bank balances, fretted over politics, worried about world events and those closer to home, and commiserated with friends and relatives over the anxieties of raising teenagers in increasingly difficult times.

Each day I've put one foot in front of the other. I've shed mammoth tears over recent tragedies, balled my fists in frustration over random acts of violence and perversity, and laughed uncontrollably at unexpectedly hilarious events. To keep my head above water I've clung, no not to my guns and religion, but to my family, my belief that good triumphs over evil and to the blessings that I only have to open my eyes to see all around me.

A terrific author, Annie Lamott, once wrote: "Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait, and watch and work: you don't give up." This epitomizes the unique American perspective. We never quit. We always believe that we will succeed as a nation of historic purpose, for the common good of all. It has been a long and stressful year, but spring, with its promise of new life, is just around the corner.