Hopefully

 Hopefully....Now there is a powerful word that I seem to be using both in conversations and my unspoken thoughts.  Hopefully Spring will be coming soon. Hopefully the War in Iran can be resolved soon.  Hopefully the economy will improve.  Hopefully the environment will be protected.  Hopefully my family (including myself) will stay happy and healthy. The list goes on and on. I was thinking I want to be optimistic, and in the same token shield myself from such mental distress as to not be able to function with day to day living.  I want to be hopeful and proactive with making the world a better place.  Yet sometimes I think to myself is it blind optimism to approach the troubles of our lives this way?  Is it looking through the world through Rose Colored glasses as a manner of survival?  I am still am not sure how to answer that, but I looked to the wisdom of a man who brought much hope to many people: Barack Obama.  I really miss his leadership and I am stressed beyond belief about what is happening with our current administration.  I know this country has been through many tough times, but I'm sure he had much to say about the concept of HOPE and was even included in the title of his book: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.  (2006) Granted it was two years before his Presidency, but he had hope and optimistic visions for us all. One of his quotes about hope really inspires me to keep on hoping:

So the tricky part for me is how does one define "hope"? For me it is allowing me to keep my Rose Colored glasses of optimism on longer enough to allow me to see the magic of possibilities there.  Seeing the wonder of our world that exists, but having the strength and determination to take the glasses off to see the harsh realities of the world.  I believe that only when we have seen the true realities of what can exist and experience,  can we hope to strive for a better world.  Having the opportunity to experience the good, allows us to hope for and walk the pathway to achieving better lives.

Perhaps this seems too philosophical for many of the concrete problems that we deal with, but it's a matter of survival for many of us.  I can't get too entrenched in serious world problems without taking into consideration how it affects my day to day living and my capacity for carrying out my tasks.  I'm not looking for a cop-out, I'm just looking for survival.  I have to hang on to my Rose Colored Glasses for survival without going stir-crazy. I occasionally take a peek over the rims for a glance at reality. As I finish up this blog post, it occurs to me that it is the first "official" day of Spring and the weather forecasters are predicting the 60's. Now that is encouraging and Hopeful.  Stay Hopeful my Friends.

                                                                                                                Julie Etta Smith