I just read this and it couldn't come at a better time. Thank you for rephrasing what is happening all around us and giving me hope. It is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of sensationalizing the problems in the world to the point of not being able to see beyond. I needed the reminder that I can choose to live my life with meaning, kindness, and hope, even if others choose differently.
Young people give me hope. They are stepping up to the front lines: confronting legislators in Florida and Tennessee. Working on college campuses to get out the vote. Inventing ways to conserve energy. Speaking out against book bans.
You two give me hope, and there's something wonderful about how often you write the words I need on a given day. A friend died of suicide yesterday and I'm working to help find homes for her cats, which is all I can do for her now. We knew she was broken after her partner died, the last in a series of brutal blows. We tried to care for her, but clearly we did not do enough. You actually gave me hope on a day when I didn't believe that possible. We try hard to do the best we can. Thank you.
Thank you! That's a lot of positive ground for hope. But as a retired United Methodist Pastor, I would add; Each morning a pastor wakes up (sometimes having had little sleep, due to a harrowing night with families in an ER waiting Room, offering Hope, when there seems to be none). Then heading to the Study to consider the message for the Relentless Return of the Sabbath for the parishioners struggling desperately with heavy everyday life issues. Pastors are human beings, expected to perform as gods; yet aren't gods.
This is a very late comment but I just wanted to say what still gives me hope even in the wake of the latest mass shooting over the weekend. I am an online tutor, and my job involves building reading and vocabulary skills in elementary-aged children. I see their potential and their enthusiasm. Those children give me hope. On April 29, our eldest daughter remarried. Our great-granddaughter, 5, was a flower girl. She'd just broken her ankle falling off a trampoline and was wearing a soft cast. It didn't hinder her at all. She hopped, skipped, and danced her little shoes off at the reception. My 90-year-old mother-in-law, who'd survived a bout of covid and was hospitalized, had an infected gall bladder that had to be removed, and other health issues related to covid. She boogied the night through. I wish I could share the pictures with you. Finally, there's you yourself and all of your positive feel-good Steady articles (usually on Sundays). I see a better future for old and young through all of these people. God bless you, Mr. Rather.
The US is like a massive 150 story building that is collapsing like one of the World Trade Center towers. We can speak of hope but no force on earth can stop the collapse rendering all hope a delusion.
My 3 grandsons give me hope. The oldest (25) is a police officer. He is one of the most caring & open-minded people I know and has excellent critical thinking skills; all of which make him perfect for the difficult task of policing in this troubled time. The middle (18) has been politically active since long before he could vote. He wants to be a lawyer to help shepherd in a more just & equitable justice system. Lastly, the 7 year old is a kind and curious child. He’s the perfect embodiment of his Dad’s pragmatic American sensibility and his Mom’s Asian (Japanese) respect for the natural world and the calm it engenders. He’s an energetic athlete (tennis, swimming, skateboarding); already @ 7 an accomplished musician (piano, violin); and a supportive friend to all in his multicultural school.
I’m hopeful, and actually quite confident, that these 3 extraordinary young men will play a significant role in making a better future for this country and the world.
Young people with their ideals and enthusiasm always leave me feeling hopeful. As "their teacher," they teach me everyday. Never give up. Always move forward. For them. For us.
The Republicans claim to be the party led by practical successful business people. Well, a normal business would stop paying refunds to people if it had to borrow the money to do that. Why doesn’t Treasury stop paying tax refunds until the debt limit question is resolved?
What brings me hope is how many people there are who are willing to help me and many others like me. I have never had a person turn me down when I ask for assistance. Especially in the grocery store when I ask someone to get thing off he top shelf or take my cart back in the store. I am over 80 and due to spinal issues under 5 feet tall, and not very strong for the same reasons. They even smile when I ask. There is so much kindness in response to all of the requests I have to make now and many times without asking.
Hope is the opposite of anxiety. Hope looks to the future with an open mind, whilst anxiety looks forward with the expectation of a specific outcome.
No one can accurately predict the future, yet because of our own experience we think that the future will role out in the way we expwct it to, knowing in the back of our minds that it won't.
No one wishes to be caught off guard, expecting unrealistic outcomes because of our precious egos, yet expectation and hope are two different things. It costs nothing to give in to reality and at least push forward with hopefulness. We don't have to be specific, only to give positivity a chance and somehow allow the universe to work out the details. Who knows, in doing so we might even surprise ourselves and find out that we are in some previously unbeknownst way contributing towards our own happiness.
Accountability brings hope.
I just read this and it couldn't come at a better time. Thank you for rephrasing what is happening all around us and giving me hope. It is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of sensationalizing the problems in the world to the point of not being able to see beyond. I needed the reminder that I can choose to live my life with meaning, kindness, and hope, even if others choose differently.
Young people give me hope. They are stepping up to the front lines: confronting legislators in Florida and Tennessee. Working on college campuses to get out the vote. Inventing ways to conserve energy. Speaking out against book bans.
You two give me hope, and there's something wonderful about how often you write the words I need on a given day. A friend died of suicide yesterday and I'm working to help find homes for her cats, which is all I can do for her now. We knew she was broken after her partner died, the last in a series of brutal blows. We tried to care for her, but clearly we did not do enough. You actually gave me hope on a day when I didn't believe that possible. We try hard to do the best we can. Thank you.
Thank you! That's a lot of positive ground for hope. But as a retired United Methodist Pastor, I would add; Each morning a pastor wakes up (sometimes having had little sleep, due to a harrowing night with families in an ER waiting Room, offering Hope, when there seems to be none). Then heading to the Study to consider the message for the Relentless Return of the Sabbath for the parishioners struggling desperately with heavy everyday life issues. Pastors are human beings, expected to perform as gods; yet aren't gods.
This is a very late comment but I just wanted to say what still gives me hope even in the wake of the latest mass shooting over the weekend. I am an online tutor, and my job involves building reading and vocabulary skills in elementary-aged children. I see their potential and their enthusiasm. Those children give me hope. On April 29, our eldest daughter remarried. Our great-granddaughter, 5, was a flower girl. She'd just broken her ankle falling off a trampoline and was wearing a soft cast. It didn't hinder her at all. She hopped, skipped, and danced her little shoes off at the reception. My 90-year-old mother-in-law, who'd survived a bout of covid and was hospitalized, had an infected gall bladder that had to be removed, and other health issues related to covid. She boogied the night through. I wish I could share the pictures with you. Finally, there's you yourself and all of your positive feel-good Steady articles (usually on Sundays). I see a better future for old and young through all of these people. God bless you, Mr. Rather.
The US is like a massive 150 story building that is collapsing like one of the World Trade Center towers. We can speak of hope but no force on earth can stop the collapse rendering all hope a delusion.
Seeing more gun control legislation being signed by governors (18 I believe) gives me hope that we are moving in the right direction.
My 3 grandsons give me hope. The oldest (25) is a police officer. He is one of the most caring & open-minded people I know and has excellent critical thinking skills; all of which make him perfect for the difficult task of policing in this troubled time. The middle (18) has been politically active since long before he could vote. He wants to be a lawyer to help shepherd in a more just & equitable justice system. Lastly, the 7 year old is a kind and curious child. He’s the perfect embodiment of his Dad’s pragmatic American sensibility and his Mom’s Asian (Japanese) respect for the natural world and the calm it engenders. He’s an energetic athlete (tennis, swimming, skateboarding); already @ 7 an accomplished musician (piano, violin); and a supportive friend to all in his multicultural school.
I’m hopeful, and actually quite confident, that these 3 extraordinary young men will play a significant role in making a better future for this country and the world.
What gives me hope is the belief that we can change individually and collectively.
Thank you for "balance" Dan Rather. The mere fact that it exists gives me hope.
Young people with their ideals and enthusiasm always leave me feeling hopeful. As "their teacher," they teach me everyday. Never give up. Always move forward. For them. For us.
The Republicans claim to be the party led by practical successful business people. Well, a normal business would stop paying refunds to people if it had to borrow the money to do that. Why doesn’t Treasury stop paying tax refunds until the debt limit question is resolved?
So do I
What brings me hope is how many people there are who are willing to help me and many others like me. I have never had a person turn me down when I ask for assistance. Especially in the grocery store when I ask someone to get thing off he top shelf or take my cart back in the store. I am over 80 and due to spinal issues under 5 feet tall, and not very strong for the same reasons. They even smile when I ask. There is so much kindness in response to all of the requests I have to make now and many times without asking.
Hope is the opposite of anxiety. Hope looks to the future with an open mind, whilst anxiety looks forward with the expectation of a specific outcome.
No one can accurately predict the future, yet because of our own experience we think that the future will role out in the way we expwct it to, knowing in the back of our minds that it won't.
No one wishes to be caught off guard, expecting unrealistic outcomes because of our precious egos, yet expectation and hope are two different things. It costs nothing to give in to reality and at least push forward with hopefulness. We don't have to be specific, only to give positivity a chance and somehow allow the universe to work out the details. Who knows, in doing so we might even surprise ourselves and find out that we are in some previously unbeknownst way contributing towards our own happiness.