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Life is tough. Just when we think we can’t take any more violence, sorrow, and chaos along it comes.  Like many, I find it hard not to despair.  I get that scared feeling in the pit of my stomach. That’s when I remember 9 things that always give me hope…

The sky – I admit, I don’t look up enough. I’m usually bent over a device or my latest to-do list. But sometimes, something happens. At dusk I’m closing the curtains when I gaze out. The sky’s splashed in orange, yellow and red. I stand a moment, taking it in. And that’s when I realize that incredible vista’s a daily reminder that somewhere a higher power exists. The beauty of that sky gives me hope.

Animals – Recently I got misty-eyed over a Facebook video. An old elephant was reunited with a kind owner from many years back. I watched this ancient pachyderm lumber up to this man he hadn’t seen in decades, trumpeting in excitement. He couldn’t nuzzle this human enough with his trunk and face. I saw then how animals teach us love.  And for some reason, that gives me hope.

Children – This past week a friend’s daughter had a baby. She texted a picture of this sweet little boy, her grandson, wrapped in his hospital blanket, brand spanking new! Babies and children are clean slates. Maybe that’s why even the most hard-hearted gets misty-eyed at the sight of a newborn. It’s another chance to get this human thing right. And that chance to begin again gives hope. I can’t wait to watch this baby grow.

Music – What is it about notes in the air that moves us, that speaks so much deeper than words? My husband Randy’s in a band. When I hear them play, I’m transported.  I wouldn’t be surprised if music linked us to higher, more creative parts of our brain. And as long as those notes are there to hear, I’ll always have hope.

Family and friends – Lately everywhere I turn someone’s hurting, either from a medical scare or unexpected bad luck. And yet in every case there’s family and friends who are there for them. Whether sitting by a sickbed, a basket of food left on a doorstep, or a “How are you?” call, I’m struck by the labyrinth of caring that happens each day. These gestures will never make the news. They’re commonplace.   And that alone gives me hope.

Community – I love the rhythms of my small Connecticut town – the winter sledding, fall apple picking, spring dogwood blossoms and summer carnivals. I love the sight of my postman driving up our road, giving a wave. I even love the sound of the garbage truck each Wednesday morning. Neighbors and community give life rhythm and predictability. Just knowing they’re nearby gives hope.

The ocean – If the sky teaches us to look up, the ocean teaches us to look out. I’m lucky to have the Atlantic Ocean a few miles away. Just standing on the shore, taking in the immensity of that water puts life in perspective. I love knowing that people on the other side of the world are looking at this same body of water.  And no doubt, they’re feeling that same sense of awe. That connectedness gives me hope.

Kindness – The last few years, my late father spent lots of time in hospitals. And although they can be scary places, they’re also magnets for good deeds. Volunteers knit prayer shawls. Care dogs come and visit. Nurses would get my ailing father laughing and comb his hair. These small gestures were constant. It made me realize for each act of violence in the world, there are hundreds of acts of compassion.  How can that not give hope?

Love – My parents were married 60 years. They started out impossibly young. They raised three children. And at the end, my mother devoted her life to caring for my Dad who eventually died from Parkinson’s. I grew up seeing love. I now have it in my own marriage. I see it in many couples around me. That lifelong devotion to another human gives hope.

Looking at this list, I realize they all have one thing in common.

Whether it’s a man playing a song or the immense ocean or a newborn baby, they all teach the same lesson… life and love go on.

There are hateful forces out there we’ll never understand.  But there’s also goodness.

And whether we’re ready or not, that wheel of life keeps turning. And that too brings hope.

 

How about you? Where do you turn for comfort?  Comments are always welcome. Thank you for reading and sharing.

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Comments(56)

  1. I really needed to see this this morning and you’ve sparked me to make time for journaling and create my own list. Feeling hopeless is the worst feeling we can have…

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      So agree, Carla. Feeling hopeless is awful. And yes, I recommend getting your own list going. Sometimes just thinking about the things that make us happy can help.

  2. Your 9 things are fantastic and we must try to find the positive in every awful situation. You’re right life must go on and in order to stay sane, it must go in a positive direction.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thanks Laurie. What else can we do but stay positive? Its the only way to try and heal this hurting world.

  3. Laurie, I was half prepared for a description of perspective. It was a very pleasant surprise to point to things that are lovely and positive and MOST IMPORTANT, constant.

    What a special and touching post, thank you.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thank you, Susan. Its the constant things that bring the most comfort.

    • Ann

    • 8 years ago

    Laurie, well said. We have just witnessed sheer evil. So much hatred and so many innocent humans wasted. But, from the ashes there was an outflowing of kindness and bravery from the majority of witnesses. Some people sheltered victims in their homes in spite of the danger. The shields of the responding officers were riddled with bullets. In the end the majority of people are loving and kind and that’s what matters.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Ann, I’m not sure when the hatred will end. I’d like to say it’ll be in our lifetime, but I have my doubts. In the meantime, we have to live the best life we can.

  4. Gah! I’ve been feeling so weepy this week. Thank you for the infusion of brightness.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Beth, I think we’ve all been feeling that way. Thanks for reading!

    • Jo

    • 8 years ago

    What a beautiful post. I love how you’ve pared everything back to basics, and shown us how there is so much hope left in the world, despite the terrible violence we’re witnessing. Gorgeous sentiments – loved this.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thanks so much for reading, Jo. I guess in the end, we’re all left with the simple things.

  5. All of these things help make life worth living. I’d love to have seen that elephant video, incidentally. I’d have to watch when my kids weren’t in the room, though, in case I got a bit teary-eyed.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Of course, I got teary-eyed, but elephants have that effect on me.

  6. Oh, how I needed to read this! Thank you for the timely reminder that there is so much love and beauty around us, even if it gets overshadowed. Beautiful post, Laurie!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thanks so much for reading, Karen.

  7. Yes, to all of these. Especially love and kindness.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thank you, Christine.

  8. Great list! Little children always give me hope. Spending time with my grandchildren renews my faith in this world. They are so filled with love and hope. I wish we could bottle it up and sell it. But in the meantime they do brighten my world.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Renee, Children really put things in perspective for me. Animals too. They don’t see the world through the jaded eyes of us adults. Its so lovely to be in that innocent world, if only for a little while.

    • Donna

    • 7 years ago

    I have never been filled with more hope. I know folks are going to turn to themselves, they will fight harder, be more creative, use their brains to start new businesses….they will meet new people, they will find strength they never knew they had before

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Donna, I believe out of hard times, comes strength. Right now our country is changing, but I believe we will come out better (and wiser) the other end.

  9. All of these things. And writing and knitting, for me.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Yes, and reading too. Forgot that!

  10. There are not words to say how much I adore this post. I’ve been struggling lately to find what gives me hope. I’m saving this. I may print it out 🙂

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Carla, Thanks so much. I’m also struggling, as we all are, with the way our country is going. Let’s pray for peace.

    • Jennifer Dunham

    • 7 years ago

    When I think about all 9 of these, my first feeling is love! Thank you for putting this list in words.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Jennifer, I guess love is the bottom line to any good in the world. We saw such hate this weekend, it was terrifying.

  11. Laurie, you are so right! We have to concentrate on the good (and there is a lot of it!) we see every day so the bad doesn’t overwhelm us!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Diane, Yes, the bad seems to be overwhelming these days. And yet, there is much beauty too.

  12. This line is so true: “I wouldn’t be surprised if music linked us to higher, more creative parts of our brain. ” I know that some of my best writing is done when I put on music.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Jennifer, I find I do some of my best, most creative thinking when I’m listening to music. I think it allows access to another part of the brain. Funny how that works.

  13. This was the perfect blog for me to read this morning! My granddaughter brings me so much joy. I find myself running over to play with her every chance I can. She gives me a dose of joy, light, and goodness! I just adore her!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Ellen, Children are the best when it comes to distraction. Their innocence and energy are infectious! How wonderful you have your granddaughter.

  14. Wow! I needed this… The ocean brings me such a sense of calm and a reminder that everything will be ok. And you live close to the ocean..I am jealous. I live 3 hours away…want to change that.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Renee, I love looking out over that beautiful expanse of water. I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds it soothing.

  15. I needed this. Thank you. We forget that we are just a small part in a huge creation. I was nodding my head the whole time.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Rena, Somehow we’ll survive this time like countless generations survived their times. Sometimes it seems impossible, but there’s a natural world out there that brings peace.

  16. I especially love witnessing kindness, someone letting in a merging car, reaching out to help an elderly neighbor put out the garbage cans, a kind word at a desperate moment, gentle mentors, wise counsel. This world is so full of good and your post is a wonderful reminder of this perspective on life. You see what you want to see, look for the good, it’s out there! Great post.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 6 years ago

      Cheryl, Thank you so much. We’re constantly bombarded with the bad, I’ll take any optimism I can find.

  17. I think another thing a lot of these have in common is the vastness of it all. The sky, the ocean, kindness, love, they are all endless concepts. There is something magical and scary about that.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 6 years ago

      Jordan, Wonderful way to put it and so true. Wish I thought of that!

  18. My garden, because new growth is always a renaissance and makes me believe in the future. My husband, because he has been fighting a chronic illness for years and never gives up. We have a wonderful life together. And my writing, because even though my novels may never see the light of day, I thrive on them, love the work, forge ahead with hope.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 6 years ago

      Beth, Wow. I can so relate to the novels. I too write and am having trouble getting anyone to pay attention. Still, I keep going. I also have a husband with a chronic illness. Sounds like you and I have a lot in common. Alas, I don’t have your green thumb, though.

  19. Appropriate that you bring this post back to the forefront now. Your list is very similar to mine. Sometimes they bring me hope, other times they serve the purpose of being a temporary distraction.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Karen, I find lately I need a lot of hope and distraction. Feeling very beaten down these days as I’m sure many people are.

  20. This is beautiful. I always look up at the sky when I am stressed out. It calms me down. So do animals and children (well not my own). Music is always great for my mood! I just belt out a fave in my car and all is right again.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Lauren, I find nature in general brings me back to reality. There’s something about the eternal, timeless nature of it that’s soothing.

  21. Such a great list and a good reminder to think about these hopeful signs each day. I also had an opportunity to visit a young friend who just had her third child. She has two girls and just had a boy. Seeing the baby and her adorable girls brought smiles to my face.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Judy, New life is always so joyous and life-affirming. One of life’s great pleasures.

  22. I love this. We all need a reminder that there is much good out there. Sometimes it’s easy to forget with the terrible things that take the spotlight.
    We just need to make a point of noticing!
    Thank you for noticing!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Diane, Its so easy to get mired down in the sadness of life. Lately, I’ve had to work doubly hard to pick myself up from the never-ending sorrow of this planet, especially in the US. I’m glad others agree that there’s still much beauty.

  23. What a beautiful list. I don’t live anywhere near the ocean, but I do find it quite soothing when I occasionally vacation there. 🙂

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Lydia, Thank you! I think any body of water can be soothing, even a babbling brook or pretty pond.

  24. You truly live a charmed life, Laurie. How beautiful. I find comfort in my dogs and my kids. Also, I’ve learned to be adaptable and not let bad things get me down.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Rebecca, I also find comfort in my dog and used to with my cat, Rocky, who died a while ago. Animals make a huge difference.

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