Stumbling on Hope

Last week I stumbled on hope.

I was walking home on a cold December night, carrying frozen dumplings. My neighbors had strung lights in their yard spelling out “HOPE.” I don’t remember them doing that before, and I don’t know why they did. But it spoke to me. 

It’s been a year for many of us. The Pandemic is over but its impact isn’t. We suffer frustration, anger, painful loss, unimaginable tragedy. Beloved friends have died, innocents are killed, and our tulips never bloomed. Neighbors, friends, and then children move away, and our parents are aging. We are weary of the negative, the hate, the blaming, the condescension, the lack of empathy.

But then we stumble on hope. And we remember that we have the capacity not just to persevere but to flourish. As we reach the end of another year, let’s recommit to experiencing more joy in 2024.

We can only encounter hope and joy if we go looking. Let’s practice.