by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW
Hope is something we all have in varying degrees, types, and durations. Hope varies with age and circumstances. Hope does not operate succinctly. Some things folks hope for seem a given to others – food, shelter, heat, and life itself. The ill hope for a cure, the lonely hope for companionship, and the depressed hope for an end of sad feelings. Sometimes, hope expires, especially in the terminally ill and in those who have given up on life. A lack of hope can be dark, dismissal, and intense agony. Hope is our internal motivator.
At this time of year, there is an explosion of hope in the heart and in the home. Hope eternal is celebrated by Christians as they relive the birth of Jesus. Hope eternal is the promise of life after death to those who confess their belief to God.
Hope at a more secular level constitutes the hope that a certain person will put a ring on your finger after so much time dating. The hope a certain gift will be received, the hope a certain family member will be home for Christmas (or maybe the hope a certain relative won’t show up, or the hope so and so will behave), and even, yes, a hope for a white Christmas. Businesses hope for a booming sales record.
On the flip side, you hope you have chosen appropriate gifts, you hope you will see smiles on peoples faces, and the hope that no-one notices Santa uses the same wrapping paper as you! We may not like to admit it, but we do hope we get something we like as a gift, and hope we don’t burn the meal. In some Christmases in the past, we hoped we had hydro to cook the meal.
Certainly, there is a generalized hope Covid will disappear, so life can be varied as it was before. We need those physical hugs! Hope does not have to be singular, but can be plural.
Meanwhile, what do you hope for? Is it for yourself, or for others? Keep hope flourishing in your circle and I will in mine!