Hope

I have been thinking a lot about the state of the world, about where we are as a culture, as a society, as a part of the global collective. What defines us? Collectively? Individually? What unites us? 

I think that across all borders, political, racial, religious, age, gender, intellectual, the uniting factor is Hope. Hope for a better tomorrow.

Many people Hope for different things. They pray and they work relentlessly to make change. Change in their own lives, change in laws. Some fight for equality, for justice, for respect, for the right to marry, for freedom, for the environment. But what guides us, what gets us through the days, and especially the nights, is a Hope that all of our work will not be in vain, that there will be a better tomorrow.

Its discouraging to work so hard at something, anything, and never see a change. To think that you don't make a difference, that no one would notice you or your efforts were gone. To think that your small effort in changing your light bulbs to be more Eco friendly will not make any difference. To think that when you write letters for freedom, to sign a petition (or champion the petition) to change laws will never amount to anything, it breaks the heart, but not the spirit. 

This is where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that these small changes do make a difference. That is why we do these things, why we take these small steps, make these small changes, and continue to work and pray. Not all of these things are small, and most of them are not easy. Easy is too often the way people go, and it is rarely what is best (but who am I to say what is best?). That these actions will lead to a better tomorrow.

We Hope. Hope unites us across every border and boundary. Hope is universal.

I Hope that I can do something, however small, to create a better tomorrow. 

What gives you hope? What do you Hope for?