This short piece is by
Nan Zastrow, bereaved mom and author. In it,
she says she believes that hope is a positive attribute. But hope without some
backup plan or some strategy may be disappointing and even threatening in times
of crisis. In its simplest terms, hope is a wish or a desire. It doesn't make
things happen all by itself. Hope must be developed, cultivated and nurtured to
benefit from all it has to offer. Hope requires some action on our part. It is
achieved through perseverance, self-direction, planning and commitment. Hope
comes from within. I agree completely with her sentiments.
I believe in the power of HOPE. I believe that through our
grief everyone has the ability to find hope.
I believe hope is found in
Saying yes
instead of no;
Loving the
concept of living; dying can wait;
Turning the sad memories to stories
of the living soul;
Forgiving
the unforgivable, not planning for revenge;
Counting
your blessings; not your challenges;
Mending relationships instead of
replacing them;
Saying, “I’ll always remember”, not
“I’ll never stop missing you;”
Getting up, instead of laying down;
Giving in gracefully, when you have
nothing to gain;
Letting go,, when you can’t change
the outcome;’
Looking for the miracle; not just
waiting for it to happen’
Strengthening your spiritual self,
not being angry at God for your lack of faith;
Counting your steps forward; not
the ones that sometimes drift back;
Saying, “what next?” instead of
“why me?”
Hope begins your journey. Believe in it. Trust in it. Imagine
it. Build a strategy! Feel the energy! Allow yourself to be enveloped with its
radiant embrace. You have begun. You will see dignity and grace in others. Compassion
in the human touch. Faith in a power far greater than you. Peace in the order
of all things. Wonder in the roads not traveled; Promise in what is yet to be.
Reprinted with
permission from Grief Digest, centering Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska.
