"Thousands of years of history have passed….and during all that time human beings have fought, killed, plundered and wronged each other in every possible way. Of such stuff history is made. But also during that time, other human beings have quietly and patiently persevered in the development of the arts, crafts, inventions, ideas and programs. From these millions of creative persons, most of them unnoticed and unknown in the upheavals of history, have come the good and lasting things in the sum of human culture." Barbara G. Walker

At a party this past weekend, I was surrounded by spirited and intelligent conversation. One woman and I were talking about all kinds of issues and subjects and in the course of the discussion she told me how, after the death of Senator Paul Wellstone, she fell into a state of despair. It seemed to her that so much was lost when his plane went down….his life, his enthusiasm, his message, her feelings of hope. She then told me about a wonderful task she assigned herself in those days to help her healing begin…….she began keeping a "hope journal", writing down those moments of hope she witnessed during the day.  Because I remember sharing her deep grief and sense of loss, I found this a compelling idea. A Hope Journal.

It is easy, I believe, to become fixated on the tragedy of our world. Our nightly news and morning papers remind us of all that is wrong with the world. It is rare indeed to see a story of all that is right with the world. Yet it really is only a small percentage of people who plunder, create havoc and perpetrate violence.  It is a vastly larger percentage of people who "quietly and patiently persevere" in their simple and humble acts of making the world a better, more beautiful, kinder place in which to live.We are surrounded by them every day….sometimes we, ourselves, are those bearers of hope.

I think of the people I know who give countless hours cooking and serving meals to the homeless. They set a beautiful table, invite their friends to provide music for dinner, some give hand massages to those people who have perhaps only known harsh and uncaring touch. I think of the artists who, each day, get out of bed to take up their work of creating beauty and awe-inspiring paintings or sculptures, music to be sung, poems to be shared. I think of the parents and teachers everywhere who patiently teach children to read, to play nicely with others, to develop as kind, compassionate people. I think of the coaches who inspire young athletes to excellence and to develop an understanding of the gifts and limitations of their own bodies. So many, so many people who inspire hope……quietly persevering all around us.

Perhaps each of us would benefit from keeping a Hope Journal. It would help remind us of the goodness that is lived out each day. It would help turn our eyes and our hearts from those situations and people that can bring out the cynic in each of us.

"The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."  Paul Wellstone