Ever Wonder About Hope?

Ever wonder about HOPE? What is it? How do we get it? How do we revive it, if it is lost? On April 3, 2011, I was the speaker at the Georgia Mountains Unitarian Universalist Church in Dahlonega, GA. Before leading the meditation and giving my presentation on my book, ALL TOGETHER NOW, A MULTIPLE'S STORY OF HOPE & HEALING, I read a quote sent to me by a friend who is a gardener: "April is about getting out of the house and on to the land. It is about sewing seeds of new dreams, hopes and promises of seasons yet to come. April is for Hope!"

My experiences during childhood caused me to lose hope many times. I hoped for a better family; I hoped that the God of my understanding would realize he'd made a mistake and come to get me and put me in the right family. It was a child's plea. But it symbolizes the vast level of hope with which I was born. It is innate in me to survive and ultimately thrive.

But I had to make a commitment to myself. I promised I would do whatever it took - go wherever I had to go - to find sanity and serenity out of the madness I experienced within my family's walls. I promised my inner children that I would protect them from harm, love them and help them grow in healthy ways.

Many times during my recovery, I have doubted my progress, but I followed the encouragement of support people, therapists and that deep sense of hope that things would be better. Sometimes life seemed bleak. Sometimes painful. But hope lead me out of the darkness.

Please post your responses about hope. Thanks.