Remember Hope

Our source of resilience

Oct 14, 2023

The sun is setting at the horizon against the glow of an orange sky; a silhouette of a tree on the left. A quotation from Rebecca Solnit: “Hope just means another world might be possible, not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.” — Hope Always © Kathryn LeRoy

Hello friends,

For the past couple of weeks, hope settled in my brain. The tug intensified when I read this:

Hope is not primarily for the future. It’s for now! Hope is a way of seeing time and understanding the present. It’s a way of tasting and receiving the moment. It gives us the capacity to enter into the future in a new way. In that sense, we can call hope true realism, because hope takes seriously all the many possibilities that fill the moment. Hope sees all the alternatives . . .
—Richard Rohr

I spent a year focused on hope, but the magnetism has not subdued. Words have power, and during that time, I combined words with images to reflect the message.

I combed through the archives to find a few that called for attention.

Sunset over the oocean with the sun’s rays beaming out over the water; Quote from Cicero, “While there’s life, there’s hope.” — Cicero; Burst of Hope © Kathryn LeRoy

Do you ever feel lost in darkness when the circumstances seem beyond your control? I wonder what I can do. Every possible action appears insignificant. In those moments, I remind myself that change comes through small consistent acts over time.

A single red Poppy with small blue fowers in the background; Quote from Anne Frank: “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” — Anne Frank; Poppy © Kathryn LeRoy

I read the news and wonder, “How much more hate and distrust can we continue to carry.” A sadness settles over me. I must shake off the web that entraps my thinking.

I make a choice. Today, I will look for one spot of beauty in this day.

Sunset with the sun in the upper right corner casting a reflection on the lake below with a quotation from Francois Sagan: “I always believe things are going to work out.” — Francoise Sagan; Reflection © Kathryn LeRoy

Whenever I faced a problem, my Mom always said, “Don’t worry, it will all work out.”

I can’t count how often I heard that message, but she was right. Perhaps that’s why my sense of hope and trust in myself still believes “it will all work out.”

Waves splaching on the rocks and the turquise water with a quotation from the poem :The Cure of Troy” by Seamus Heaney: “History says, Don’t hope On this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up And hope and history rhyme.” — Seamus Heaney, The Cure at Troy; Waves © Kathryn LeRoy

Are we unwise to hope? I think not. Because hope keeps us pushing onward. It’s hope that inspires me to press on. . .

A musical group performing including drums, violen, guitars, and bass with a quotation from Pete Seeger: “And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world.” — Pete Seeger; Music in San Miguel de Allende © Kathryn LeRoy

I do believe music has the power to bring us together to find a common thread for hope.

What hidden hopes look for a home in your life today?

Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of womxn and non-binary singers, bring their infectious energy to the TED stage with a performance of "I Hope’ and ‘DAWN.’" “The song ‘I Hope’ is such a simple but powerful idea . . . In the face of despair, having the audacity to hold a vision for a better tomorrow is itself a revolution.”

John Lennon’s “Imagine” never fails to remind me to envision a better world, and to have hope when hope seems lost. My Mother sang the melody of “Whispering Hope” while I played the piano and harmonized—the song reminds me of love, connection, and hope.

“Hope is a passion for the possible.”
—Søren Kierkegaard

The moon with wispy clouds across, a deep blue sky, and trees silhouetted with a quote fromthe John Lennon song, “Imagine,” “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And we will live as one.” — John Lennon, “Imagine” and Dreamer Moon © Kathryn LeRoy

Find a little wonder this week, and no matter what, I’m holding onto hope for humankind.

With gratitude,

Kathryn

I always welcome your thoughts, so, please leave me a message or click the little heart at the bottom of the page.

Inspiring Your Best

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