A friend, whose husband had been in and out of cancer treatment for several years, called to tell me she met a woman who told her of a successful alternative to chemotherapy. After a brief recap of her conversation, with joyous excitement, my friend said, “My spark is back!”

Her spark is what I call hope. Like magic, someone’s words removed “almost” from the doctor’s previous statement of, “He is almost in remission.” Her hope was back.

Hope is the potion that makes the brain matters churn, the heart pump faster, and the smiles reappear. It adds motivation and possibilities for the future. Hope is the pie crust, the substance that shapes us and holds us together.

Hope is an emotion we often take for granted. We assume we always have it, do not need to earn it, and have an abundance of it by birth. Hope is subtle, gentle, and pleasing. It is vital to joy, yet we don’t know what we lost when it leaves.

Life without hope can lead to despair and misery. When one loses hope, he/she usually replaces it with depression, fear, frustration, sleeplessness, worry, obsessive thinking, compulsive behavior, boredom, isolation, feelings of unfairness, and overall lack of wellness.

Hope is what makes us dream, create, and set goals. The hope of something better is hidden in mortgage contracts, wrapped in newborn baby blankets, stuffed in college backpacks, and whispered behind, “I do!” COVID 19 vaccine has given people all over the globe hope.

One individual can give another encouragement and a change in attitude with little effort. The power of new information, compassion, acknowledgment, or praise, and in our year of masks, acceptance with one’s eyes, is priceless.

Hope can come to us from people we have known a lifetime or from someone we meet by chance and fail to ask their name. We never know when something we say or do helps another change direction or regain strength to look forward with possibilities.

My husband started a new trial drug today, and it gave us hope. It could be silly to hang our hats on the success of one more medication, but why not? Hope alone lifted our outlook, attitude, and behavior. I think a positive thought is better any day of the week than a cynical naysay. One good day helps negate yesterday’s doubt and tomorrow’s fear.

It is inspiring that one anonymous person gave hope to my friend with only a few words in less than a minute? Hope stolen by the prognosis of one doctor, were restored by a total stranger.

When have you had similar experiences—one where words or actions from another person gave you back your spark; a.k.a, hope? Do you give others hope? Of course you do!

Until the next time: Live while you live.

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