“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.” ―Richard Evans
If there ever was a time when hope was so desperately needed!
A pandemic is ravaging. Death is stalking. And we’re inundated with sad news wherever we turn. In quarantine, isolation, at home, in loss of income, in sickness, in fear of sickness, in losing a loved one and unable to bury them… it’s so easy to lose hope.
Yet we must not, for in hope is life. An anchor to the soul.
Remember the popular 2007 movie The Bucket List? Two terminally ill men, Edward (starred by Jack Nicholson) and Carter (starred by Morgan Freeman), each come up with a list of must do’s before they die. The movie highlights some of the little things that take on greater significance when we are faced with the grim reality of death. Like ‘Laugh until I cry,’ ‘Witness something majestic,’ ‘Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world’ and ‘Help a complete stranger for a common good.’
The most important thing though, is not what’s on their lists, or whether or how they accomplish any. The greatest takeaway is perhaps how the two men’s focus shifts from their illnesses and impeding deaths, to finding hope in the small and simple things.
Find hope in the small and simple things
If you were to make your own bucket list of things you could feasibly do in your current circumstances, what would feature on the list? What are the small and simple things you can do that make life worth living, and that give hope a much-needed boost?
One home video that caught my attention recently was of a couple who turned their home into ‘Mummy & Daddy’s Restaurant’ for their two young boys for one meal. The kids were tired of staying home and longed for an outing in the midst of the lockdown. Mom played the waitress, welcoming the kids with menus, while Dad played the chef. The family seemed to have had a really great time – probably much better than they would have had at an actual restaurant.
What’s on your bucket list? Share in the comments if you have some ideas. If you have no creative inspiration right now, don’t hesitate to learn from other people’s great ideas – imitate, and then innovate.
One day at a time
To get through this lockdown, you may have to practice living one day at a time, because we cannot accurately predict what tomorrow will bring. One way you can live with hope each day is to keep a gratitude journal. Take a few moments at the end of each day to review five things―or even just three―that you are grateful for. Did someone encourage you today? Did your child say something that made you laugh? Was it a sunny day? Did an old friend you haven’t seen in a while call to just say ‘hello’?
If you’re not one for writing things down, you can share them with someone else. It might lift your spirits and rekindle hope.
Copyright ©2020 by David Waweru
