The Idea of Hope

Have you ever had a deep thought about the idea of hope?  The yearning for something to happen? In this piece, I am pondering the concept of both the desire of an expected outcome as well as, the older meaning of trust. I began to think of hope as a commodity. More like a tangible thing that I can possess. Seeing the unrest in the world and the horrific images coming to us from Europe brings hope to the forefront of my mind. The hope that conflict such as this never reaches my home. The hope that people have a right to be safe. I can’t imagine the helplessness many feel when they are thrust into that situation. Then I began to think about our students. Are there times when they feel lost and helpless? Do they feel that no matter what they do in class they are never going to pass? That feeling can quickly lead to a loss of hope. We have to help them defend against that by refocusing them on the positive. Next, encourage them to believe in themselves. Finally, surround them with positivity. Sometimes the most simple thing is an extension of kindness. It may be only the first step in a long journey, but we can help make it to rekindle hope. Just remember, we never know our impact until it has already been made. With that thought nugget, I hope you have a most excellent weekend…Go BEARS! (cue Kyrie (song) – Mr. Mister).

Until next time...