My Hope Feels Like Joy

When we find hope, we must keep it and not grow complacent into thinking that we’ve found it and arrived. Hope has more power than that. There’s too much change that is needed to lose momentum. Hope is not a desire for things to go well, only to feel disappointed when they don’t. The depth of hope is an emotion that can be felt when inspired and moved by something — words, actions, connection and even silence, but not as a prediction of the future. Hope is sustainable, beyond outcome, and lives within us.

My Experience

Over the past nearly four years, the dark cloud of heaviness that came with the Trump presidency still looms — divisiveness, lack of decency, hate and racism that has increased my stress level since election day 2016. That dreadful feeling that caused me to retreat into my husbands arms, in tears, as I watched hope disappear. Emotions have a mind of their own and we feel what we feel, when we feel it, be it sadness, anger, fear or joy. Perhaps off the heals of President Obama, the contrast was unusually stark and unpresidential. A shadow that continues to divide the country and ignite fear, as Trump’s base is energized by his rhetoric, rising further against those with melanin in their skin and those whose religions or sexual orientation they don’t respect. The rise of hate, promoted by President Trump, reminds me of the impact of generational trauma, systemic racism and the effect on everyday life for people that look like me. There’s a feeling of despair that can be haunting when there are so many lies that swarm and that continue to disguise themselves as reality, for those that are drawn deeper into this circus of delusion.

My hope was restored when former Vice President Joe Biden announced Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. The idea of a Black woman being on the democratic ticket, the decency, intelligence, knowledge of government, experience and goodness that could once again be possible with the two of them, side by side. This ignited something in me that had been lost since Trump was sworn in. The restoration of energy, a lightness and a feeling that was natural — hope and excitement at the prospect of change. A reminder that despite the darkness that may surround us, we must keep our internal light shining. A reminder of what that level of energy and enthusiasm feels like for you, personally, is worth exploring and taking action.

Believe In Hope & Take Action

Imagine that hope is what changes the chemicals in our bodies, our cells, our blood flow and makes us feel alive. Hope being the light that reminds us that there is a higher power, God, that gives us the strength to carry on. So powerful that it gives us confidence, joy, love, and connection. It’s another form of consciousness. The lightness that it brings is indeed restorative in a spiritual way. These are not empty words, but are meaningful in a way that hits us to our core so that we believe them. This is why hope propels people into action, with the belief that they can be a part of change, whether for themselves, their families, their communities or country. Put hope into action. VOTE!