My third son is currently in USAF boot camp and I got my week 3 call last night…all of 30 seconds. He sounded exhausted and he was a bit teary to hear our voices on the other end of the line. We were too. He said that even though it was one of the hardest times, he was doing great. This will be my picture of finding hope in the midst of pain, conflict, and hardship. Hope is a choice. If my 19 year old can do it, we all can too!
Hang in there, Mom. My son-in-law is career military pilot, and I am very proud of him. It has made my daughter a frequently moving across the world military spouse. It is hard, but thank goodness they persevere!!
Excellent read on the heels of my finishing The Demon of Unrest yesterday. It helped me cement who I will vote for in November, the one lacking malice!
We are the hope, the change. We need to be the ones reaching our hands to our neighbors and showing the hope and kindness, and malice toward no one regardless of their view.
Let’s mend our country. It starts with each of us.
Lincoln is one of my favorites, not because he was perfect but because he was willing to change his mind. Plus, I find his vulnerability compelling. I can imagine that his personal suffering made him empathetic to the suffering of others. He knew his own faults and so was able to bear with the faults of others. God bless him and his memory.
Thank you for this meaningful and important message today, Sharon. As someone who also struggles with depression, being hopeful isn't easy. But clearly it can be done and done well. Reframing my thoughts and understanding about what hope is and isn't will, I HOPE ;), change my perspective.
Reminds me of your podcast this week with Stephanie Harrison, “The New Happy.” Happiness (or joy) is sustained when we look outside ourselves, and in this case when we serve America in ways specific to our strengths and the needs around us. Lincoln had every excuse to stay self-focused but instead turned his energy toward serving others.
Hope is a choice, and not always an easy one. Sometimes we have to work hard to find that ember then stoke it so it can become a flame. Thank you for the reminder.
When then-candidate Obama hit upon the campaign theme of “Hope” (I can still see the graphic in my mind!) I think he was on to something deep in the American psyche- a belief in a brighter day. Unfortunately, in the “professionalization” of our society, it’s easy to start thinking hope is something leaders (govt, business, cultural) have to bring to/for us, rather than something we get to be a part of choosing- and bringing- every day. Thanks for this reminder.
Seldom in the history of the world has the right man been in the right place at the right time. Even with his own challenges and flaws. Remarkable man.
Beautifully written! And if, as Emily Dickinson wrote, “hope is the thing with feathers,” then gratitude may be the wind that lifts it skyward. We still have a constitutional system that allows for peaceful change. For that I am grateful.
My third son is currently in USAF boot camp and I got my week 3 call last night…all of 30 seconds. He sounded exhausted and he was a bit teary to hear our voices on the other end of the line. We were too. He said that even though it was one of the hardest times, he was doing great. This will be my picture of finding hope in the midst of pain, conflict, and hardship. Hope is a choice. If my 19 year old can do it, we all can too!
This Governerd thanks him for his service as he begins his journey!!
Hang in there, Mom. My son-in-law is career military pilot, and I am very proud of him. It has made my daughter a frequently moving across the world military spouse. It is hard, but thank goodness they persevere!!
I love this so much, and I am grateful for his service! ❤️❤️❤️
Excellent read on the heels of my finishing The Demon of Unrest yesterday. It helped me cement who I will vote for in November, the one lacking malice!
We are the hope, the change. We need to be the ones reaching our hands to our neighbors and showing the hope and kindness, and malice toward no one regardless of their view.
Let’s mend our country. It starts with each of us.
Lincoln is one of my favorites, not because he was perfect but because he was willing to change his mind. Plus, I find his vulnerability compelling. I can imagine that his personal suffering made him empathetic to the suffering of others. He knew his own faults and so was able to bear with the faults of others. God bless him and his memory.
Thank you for this meaningful and important message today, Sharon. As someone who also struggles with depression, being hopeful isn't easy. But clearly it can be done and done well. Reframing my thoughts and understanding about what hope is and isn't will, I HOPE ;), change my perspective.
Reminds me of your podcast this week with Stephanie Harrison, “The New Happy.” Happiness (or joy) is sustained when we look outside ourselves, and in this case when we serve America in ways specific to our strengths and the needs around us. Lincoln had every excuse to stay self-focused but instead turned his energy toward serving others.
Hope is a choice, and not always an easy one. Sometimes we have to work hard to find that ember then stoke it so it can become a flame. Thank you for the reminder.
When then-candidate Obama hit upon the campaign theme of “Hope” (I can still see the graphic in my mind!) I think he was on to something deep in the American psyche- a belief in a brighter day. Unfortunately, in the “professionalization” of our society, it’s easy to start thinking hope is something leaders (govt, business, cultural) have to bring to/for us, rather than something we get to be a part of choosing- and bringing- every day. Thanks for this reminder.
Seldom in the history of the world has the right man been in the right place at the right time. Even with his own challenges and flaws. Remarkable man.
Inspiring and beautifully written, Sharon. Thank you for this.
We have so much more influence in our own little spheres of the world than we realize. Thank you for the hopeful reminder today.
These are the words I needed to hear today as I try to focus on my individual actions. Thank you, Sharon.
Thank you. The perfect message to start the day.
Thank you Sharon for reminding me about hope. Despair about where our country is heading had started to creep in.
Thanks as always Sharon for reminding us that there can be hope even in the darkest of times! ❤️🤍💙
Beautifully written! And if, as Emily Dickinson wrote, “hope is the thing with feathers,” then gratitude may be the wind that lifts it skyward. We still have a constitutional system that allows for peaceful change. For that I am grateful.
Oh, Sharon. This hit me right in the feels today! ❤️🤍💙
Me too! 🥹