Hope

What is hope?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hope as "1: to desire with expectation of obtainment. 2: to expect with confidence."

Well, I hope for a lot of things. However, hope alone is not enough. Many things we hope for in life don't come to fruition. Hope is often a word used in place of I want.

To have hope, one has to have reason to expect the result they want. Personally, I hope for a number of things. I hope for a job. I hope my relationship issues end soon and well. I hope my living situation is resolved soon.

Am I doing enough to have hope that those things happen? I guess that's something I'm asking of myself these days. I had a long talk with J last night and, even if I didn't come away from that talk with any answers, I felt better about somethings. In J, I've got a friend whom I feel I can talk to about anything and, for anyone who doesn't have someone in their life like that (and I didn't for years), you're missing out on one of the greatest part of friendships because, friends like J, can give you reason to hope.

In the movie Shawshank Redemption, Red says to Andy "Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."

If you're not will do something to what needs to be done to give yourself hope, it surely can drive you insane. However, for anyone who constantly strives for results, for the betterment of themselves or their lot in life, hope will carry them through the hardest of times.

I think of my friend, L, when I think this thought. I know L has been through quite a bit in life but seems to keep striving for things to be better. Putting family ahead of self desires. Definitely an example for me to follow and one which, when I take a long, hard look at, I fall short of at times.

In a letter to Red at the end of Shawshank Redemption, Andy writes "Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

Hope. As long as I have hope, I can keep going. I realize I have to do more but I have the desire, the love and support of family and friends, and I won't let hope die.

Hope, We Shot the Moon

Hope it's all that I have
The calm in the storm
Is right where I am
Inside of hope
It's all that I know
It's what I'm moved for
It's what I live for

Wave goodbye to a time
That you once believed was everything

I'm ready to live
I'm ready to dream
I'm ready for fear, and love and everything between

Don't tell me I'm right
Don't tell me I'm wrong
Just tell me I'm strong enough for one more song
And this could be the one to say it right
Bringing warmth into the night
I'm going for broke, but I've got hope

The sound it's all around
And we can be found
All in good time.
I'm forgiving yesterday
Wishing yesterday would forgive me, but I'll never see

So wave goodbye to a time
That you once believed was everything

I'm ready to live
I'm ready to dream
I'm ready for fear, love and everything between

Don't tell me I'm right
Don't tell me I'm wrong
Just tell me I'm strong enough for one more song
And this could be the one to say it right
Bringing warmth into the night
I'm going for broke, but I've got hope

I'm ready to live, I live for hope.
I'm ready to live, I live for hope.

I'm ready to live
I'm ready to dream
I'm ready for fear, love and everything between

Don't tell me I'm right
Don't tell me I'm wrong
Just tell me I'm strong enough for one more song
And this could be the one to say it right
Bringing warmth into the night
I'm going for broke, but I've got hope
Yeah, I've got hope