HMM....THE POSSIBILITIES OF HOPE!

 A series of essays.....

 ~ HOPE, DREAMS AND INFINITE POSSIBILITIES!~

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

After living on God's wondrous Earth for several years, you occasionally find yourself attempting to explain the phenomenon of life to those you meet along its uneven, cobblestone pathway. Sometimes you feel quite comfortable because your audience is interested in your apparent 'words of wisdom.' For example, your grandchildren. There are times when your listeners are tough customers and wish to ignore the layers of experience and the excellent examples you have to offer. Your own children, perhaps? Then, there's always going to be that one student in life whom you'll find difficult to teach, challenging to understand, and often makes you question your trust in them. That person is....yourself.

As a woman, I sometimes question how I survived high school in the sixties, attended college, became a wife and mother, enjoyed close friendships along the way, and still made time to plan and dream? The answer is, hope. My conclusion is that we're nothing without it, even though some of us may think we've lost it along the way, somewhere deep between the dusty cobblestones, it's there. We just have to look for it.

Hope. It is a very hushed sounding 'four letter word' with an archaic ring to it, used to impart an old fashioned flavor of a much earlier, now distant, time in our life. 

On the contrary, dear friends. Every day of our life we utilize our options of hope in ways we don't even consider significant as in the thought that the traditional male role of breadwinner is no longer relevant within today's social norms. Our hopes and dreams may fluctuate with our current age and lifestyle to a certain degree, however, they should always remain very much alive and well. 

You see, if we lose all hope, if we deny the fact that we continue to dream, if we misplace the longing or desire for something accompanied by the belief in the possibility of its occurrence, we become lost souls. I know we continue to hope right up until the moment we pass from this world and into the next as I recall my father's smiling face upon seeing his four children together, by his hospital bedside, after so many years of separation. I believe his last desire, his final hope, was to see our faces, side by side, once again. He passed away a few short hours later.

~TOTALITY~

Hope came rushing out from the television screen like a colorful waterfall during a spring thaw as thousands of people observed 'totality' during the eclipse this past Monday. It was a spiritual experience that many found difficult to deny. Loved ones were held tightly and the expression of awe on people's faces was followed by tears of joy and delight as they were, collectively, exposed to the miracle of the universe we inhabit. My hope was that we were all capable of pocketing this marvel of the cosmos for future reference and continue on a daily basis to learn important lessons from the experience. Only time will tell.

Yet, even with the strength of knowledge, amazing life experiences, and pledges to see the value of our hopes and dreams take us far into the future, we, as students of life, can fail to see how relevant we are as individuals within the grand scheme of things. As I said before, there's always going to be that one student whom you'll always find difficult to teach. The reality is that if we don't believe in ourselves, life can become futile. Even when others see our potential, we may not accept this truth and become lost for a very long time. 

Am I good enough, strong enough, smart enough to compete in this world for everything I want to achieve? Well, that novel won't be published until it is completed. Those extra pounds won't disappear all by themselves. And, you'll never work at the job of your dreams if you can't figure out what it takes to get there. Even tiny miracles need a strong push in the right direction every now and then! 

One thing we can and should always understand and teach ourselves is how important it is to help each other; be there for one another, whether it's to help feed the underprivileged or hold a hand during a time of crisis. You will never know if or when the tables are turned and you may need to feel the solidness of a good friend or even a stranger in your own life. There is no room in this world for pure selfishness, the denial of basic human rights, or the contention that some of us are even, remotely, superior to others. 

As time continues to layer my world with plans for retirement, dreams of making the world a better place in which to live and love, and ideas for opening up new opportunities and possibilities to ponder along the way.....I cling to hope as my lesson well learned. 

NEVER GIVE UP;
NEVER GIVE IN......!

Hope is fragile. Hope can be very personal. There is always Hope! It can help bring communities and even great nations together once again. This is, precisely, my hope as I write this today. And, as my mid-life dream involves a good, healthy life for my husband and me, my children and their children, my compassion for others and satisfaction for a life well lived revolves around the Hope of even Greater Things to come, as individuals and as a nation. Fingers crossed!

Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved