Maybe I am speaking to a specific group of people today, but those of us who are always hopeful, expecting good outcomes, optimistic, and continue to hold on to the good in life, I pray that we never lose that part of ourselves. In a world that prides itself on being emotionless, nonchalant, and unbothered. It is as if 90% of people have been hurt and disappointed to the point of no return. I hope that those of us who are hopeful and even hopeless romantics will continue to keep hope alive, believing in the good that is still in the world and that there are good people in it. It is easy to give up, but it is hard to believe again. Believe after heartbreak, disappointment, discouragement, in the midst of confusion, and even in moments where you do not get to receive closure. But if you still believe, after everything you’ve seen and everything you’ve felt, then you’re carrying something rare. That hope inside you is not weakness. It’s not naïveté. It’s resistance. It’s resilience. It’s strength. You are choosing to remain soft in a world that has done everything to harden you. And that softness is your power. Don’t let the world convince you that being guarded is the only way to survive. Being guarded and having a hardened heart is truly no way to live and is extremely isolating. Emotionally distancing and isolating ourselves is why we are in an individualistic society now. It is why we have a loneliness epidemic. Yes, protect your peace, but don’t let your hope die in the process. This world still needs people who believe. People like you. So hold onto it. Let it live in you. Nurture it with faith. Anchor it in truth. And keep choosing to trust that something beautiful can still be born from this moment.

Even now. Especially now.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. “

Romans 12:12 NIV