Hope

Hope.

It's just a short little four letter word, but it's a powerful one. Sometimes I think that hope gets to have this negative connotation. It seems to be that some people think you can have too much hope, while what they're often experiencing is delusions of grandeur. True hope isn't about believing in something unattainable, it's a belief that this isn't the end. It isn't about being a Pollyanna, nor about the silver lining and only seeing the positivity of a situation.

Hope is about acknowledging the mess and the chaos and finding that sliver of light in your tunnel. It's finding a small part of a situation that you can change. It's not giving up despite the obstacles, but doing it from a place of love and not resentment. You can't house hope with resentment and anger. Hope pairs with love and faith. Hope can lead to faith and love. Hope says I see your mess, I see the chaos, I see the darkness, but I see YOU through all of that.

It's why I have it tattooed on my wrist within an infinity loop. It's a daily reminder that hope is eternal, endless, infinite. That it will never leave me. That, in having hope I can lead my life towards the light and love that we all seek. My friends know me so well that in dark moments the word hope is a cue from them to me to have faith, stay the course and believe. There have been many moments the past year where I have questioned my tattoo choice, thinking that instead I should have chosen patience or faith as I seem to need those lessons the most. In the end though I know that HOPE was the word I needed at the time and still to do this day.