On Hope by Erasmo

"If you assume there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope."

Noam Chomsky At times in our lives, things can look dark. No matter what is affecting us like a relationship, the stress of work, or maybe even a global pandemic, we may slowly begin to convince ourselves that there is no light at the end of the journey. Just more shame, stress, and guilt; more disappointment. However, what I have forced myself to remember is that I have been through many of life's ups and downs one way or another. I'll also admit my perception of certain feelings may not equal the same volume as those who have more life experience, but that doesn't invalidate a shared feeling that we have been through it. We have lived through some of our own personal worst times and we got through it. What I have seen is that life has a way of bringing gifts of all sizes to us. Even in the grief of a loved one, we can experience memories that bring joy. In the following moments after death, we are met with openness by others, a vulnerability that brings community, and a sense of happiness in a new sense of aliveness. All we need to concern ourselves is with this day and to keep coming back. We have lived through tough moments in life and there is still hope to be had. There is no guarantee what tomorrow will bring but we can only live with what we have now and be open to receive what we think we deserve tomorrow.

Written by Erasmo Nunez Baeza