It has been said that “hope springs eternal.” These days, there may not be as much “spring” in hope, but it’s still there. True, it’s harder to find, maybe harder to maintain, but it continues to exist.
Hope is different and unique for each of us on this planet. Many of us have hope for the future, built on the hard work of today and the aspirations for how to use it tomorrow and beyond. Sadly, for too many others, hope has waned and drained — whether that’s due to political or environmental or economic or religious/spiritual or race and gender-based hazards and catastrophes. I believe that where there’s a will, there’s a way, and when there’s a way, there is hope.
For many younger and an increasingly larger number of older folks, there is the option of starting the new academic year with hope. Why not? It’s yet another opportunity to invest through learning in ourselves, our classmates, neighborhoods and communities. Human beings have always been and still are meant to be lifelong learners. When life brings to us the chance to learn and do something new, we can have the option to hold an attitude of hope.
Here I wish to pause momentarily to offer my highest hopes that, at all levels and across all roles within our local public school systems, there will be success and growth and personal development. This same wish holds true for new and continuing Greenfield Community College students, those in our private day and residential and religious schools. Each school day, we ought to hold out the hope that good things can — and should — occur. Of course, this is all set against a background of indiscriminate and wanton violence, as our media sources remind us every day. Nevertheless, I hope we can all hold out hope for all learners, teachers, administrators and support staff, and work to keep everyone safe and secure in their classrooms, offices and educational environs.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.“
Desmond Tutu
Hope is one aspect of the human condition that serves to motivate and move us forward. It is a catalyst that propels us to strive, to try, to achieve — sometimes despite known or anticipated obstacles. With hope, people can aspire to experience and be at their best in their multiple roles and identities. On the other side of the behavioral continuum, hope exists for us to learn from, atone for and correct our inevitable mistakes. When I served as a dean at a nearby graduate institute some years ago, I found myself asking, “What new mistakes will I make and learn from today?” and I became a more positive person with that attitude. While I didn’t visualize the mistakes themselves, I did envision having a perspective that would enable me to grow and develop personally and professionally from errors in judgment and performance.
I have found over time that the best measure of ourselves as human beings is not when things are smooth, easy and going well. Rather, it is when we are struggling that we get to really experience who we are, who we have become, in terms of our vulnerability and our resilience. Having a sense of hopefulness at these moments is often the change-agent we need to stay strong and equanimous. I love Emily Dickinson’s well-wrought framing: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul — and sings tunes without the words — and never stops at all.”
I’ve always believed that conflict is a terrible thing to waste. Since the potential for conflict is ubiquitous wherever people co-exist, we have innumerable opportunities to learn and grow when we are troubled or are in trouble. It is much to our credit to extend hope to ourselves and others when we experience trouble, challenge, conflict and hard moments. Having or renewing hope may bring a rush of adrenaline, energy and clarity that can impel us to acknowledge, work with and finally work through our challenges to be at our best.
For most of us, finding and maintaining hope is not easy or simple; we must sometimes dig down into our core to generate it. If we cannot find hope within ourselves, we must become keenly aware of other sources beyond us where it may dwell — in a caring friend, life partner, sibling, collegial work partner or mentor.
As we begin a new month, a new season, a new school year, perhaps a new job or new grade — or must carry on with ongoing challenges and opportunities — keep hope in mind. It could become your new best friend, or at least an accomplice for growth and creativity.