To Live for the Hope of it All

Oxford Languages defines hope (n) as: "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen." The act of waiting patiently, hoping that what hasn't occurred yet may happen. But for me, it's the thought of knowing something and understanding it will happen again. A feeling of comfort and familiarity, like a hug from a loved one or laughing with an old friend. When you instantly connect, the glimmer of someone's eye and the eagerness to spark that feeling. Hope isn't about imagining the outcome; it's deeper than that, it's what we know, it's what we love. 

I walked through the doors of my freshman-year dorm. I'm hoping the sound of suitcases rolling along the concrete and a cork board of upcoming events distract me from the fact that I'm walking into the unknown. Sure, I was excited. I had been planning my decorations and dreaming of my future since before I moved my tassel to the left side, but still, I was scared. My feelings of hope were lost in translation, jumbled with doubt. What if this goes wrong? As I entered my shoebox of a room, I was greeted by my roommate, who would become my first shimmer of hope. 

Now you might be wondering--what does my freshman year dorm have to do with hope? Quite frankly, Justice Bean is about the furthest thing from hope, but it brought something significant: my first sign of it. The warmth in your body so powerful that everything around you becomes technicolor, and the birds seem to chirp a little bit louder. 

I've learned that hope doesn't have to be something we imagine and wish for; it can be people, memories, and reminders that it's not all bad. That first sign that I would be okay on a random fall weekday during my first year led me to the person I am now. The stories the walls tell, watching my friends and I sing around the room, laugh at movies, and stay up late talking until the sun comes up. 

It's the feeling of dinner on vacation after a day at the beach, getting your developed roll of film photos, or when a song is just too good you play it over and over without getting sick of it. It's a handwritten letter or a friend wishing you a happy birthday. Hope doesn't have to be something we wish for; it can already be with us and strengthened in goodness. 

Right now, it may feel like everything is lost; as the rain hits the pavement harder, the sun sets earlier. The feeling of loss for something we desired, the collective sadness that lived on our phones, TVs, and even our homes. Misfortune can weigh us down, and while it's important to feel every emotion, remember that not all is lost. Our strength lives on in our hope for the future and the hope that lives on in our everyday lives. 

“Only when it’s dark enough can you see the stars.” -Martin Luther King Jr.  

…Feeling a little hopeless? Checkout this playlist from Align Music Team’s Bianca Lewis to remind you there’s light at the end of the tunnel.