With all of the other violence, negativity, and despair being thrown at us by the media, I feel as though we need to be reminded of hope.

Hope is an important tool. It helps us to get through times that otherwise would seem unbearable.

Samuel Smiles, a 19-century Scottish author said, “Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, cast the shadow of our burden behind us.”

Hope responds to the aspirations to happiness that have been placed in our hearts. It is what helps us to get past the negativity of the world we see today and allows us to believe that what we see before us can change.

With hope we are able to find light in the darkness around us. It helps us to see when we have been blinded by despair. It shows us what sometimes we cannot see because of the burdens that have been placed upon us in life. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” He understood that regardless of what is happening to us know we have always been able to believe and hope that somehow someone will stand up or we ourselves will stand up to change and bring about peace and happiness.

If we see the atrocities in our world today, if we see the violence, the hate and we allow despair to overcome us, if we allow hope to be lost, then evil has won and nothing will change. There will be nothing good to come the future will become bleak. For “Hope is the pillar that holds up the world” and “Hope is the dream of a waking man” said Pliny the Elder. We must as a society hold on to hope and not give in to despair.

If we want a better tomorrow if we want change yes we must act but we also must have hope. Hope that our actions regardless of how big they are will have an affect and will cause change. We must hope that everyone on this earth truly does want a better future…a peaceful future.

So do not give up on hope.

Hope for a better future and it will come.