Still here. Always looking for . . .
But, holy moly. It can be so hard to find sometimes.
If I use my own, personal and internal hope view-finder, I can find lots of reasons for hope. It’s when I back up and take a broader view that I tend to have trouble spotting any.
Earlier this week, I was at a check-up appointment with my rheumatologist. He always asks me if I have any trouble sleeping; he’s trying to gauge whether pain keeps me awake at night. I laughed and told him that . . . no, pain doesn’t keep me awake — but sometimes the state of the world does. He sighed a big sigh . . . and then shared his own philosophy about the state of the world. He told me that his country of origin is always, always in conflict and there is rarely peace. Yet people there still have hope. They believe in powers greater than themselves, whether it be religion or personal or the natural world around them. He reminded me that the world is always in conflict – and that it always has been – yet we still must hope (and work for) more just and peaceful solutions.
His words have been echoing in my head all week.
It’s a mess out there. I know this. Yet as I look all around me, I see nature . . . doing its thing. It does spark hope in me. The natural world pays no attention to the news or the media or the horrible things that people do (and say) to one another.
Nature . . . just keeps going on.
And we must, too.
“October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.”
— Hal Bourland
Here’s to a restful weekend for all of us.
Don’t stop looking for hope!
When I wake in the middle of the night (often and for no really apparent reason) I will sometimes stand up and look out our back bedroom window. On clear nights there are so many stars and sometimes the moon. Those sights always give me hope and make me feel peaceful. I even see deer sometimes under our apple tree…not regularly, but once in awhile.
I hiked with a friend yesterday and we were lamenting about things. But we also took the time to appreciate our surroundings and the beauty of the season. It sure did help! Have a nice weekend Kym!
Maybe we should take a note from nature and pay no attention to the media and news.
(But, I suppose we can’t just stick our heads in the sand either, but it sure is tempting.)
Hope you got a good report at the rheumatologist.
This week I have Jon Batiste’s video, music and lyrics “Freedom” stuck in my brain (and heart).
“…when I look up to the stars
I know exactly who we are”
And, of course, the music is so powerful.
For me, it’s proving to be a real soul-saver at this moment.
Your post held the words I didn’t know I needed to hear this morning. Thank you💕
Thanks to your rheumatologist for his words of wisdom and thank you for sharing them. I think this might be the answer I’ve been searching for. Nature has taken my breath away several times this week and it’s reassuring and hopeful that nature always continues no matter how much we humans mess things up.
First, I love that Bourland quote. Second, how lucky you are to have that Doctor!
Your rheumatologist, in addition to being what sounds like a very good doctor, is a very wise man. I remember in the early days of the pandemic, when we were all anxious and didn’t know what was going on, I got a lot of hope from watching for and then spotting the early signs of spring.
I firmly believe that hope is always there, but sometimes we have to make a point to go and look for it.
Thanks for sharing the wisdom of your rheumatologist, Kym. As the day has unfolded, it is more important than ever
Have a good, restful weekend.
I’m so glad you have a doctor who not only takes care of your health and listens and asks the right questions but also shares his philosophy of the world in a meaningful way. I remember being struck by the rhythm and reliability of the natural world during the pandemic and it has stayed with me ever since. It gives me hope and comfort.
What a thoughtful post. Thank you for sharing the wisdom from the doctor. The predictability of the seasons does bring me peace and comfort. Somehow, no matter our foolhardy ways, the natural world does its best to move forward and even to heal.
Oh my… what a lovely, lovely physician! But that Borland quote… YES! I had a brief moment of sadness at the diminishing color on our time away, but I loved that with less leaves I could SEE MORE! My goodness what a glorious trade-off that is.
(I just can’t even with this world. And in retaliation I am ramping up my “kindness campaign” I am to the KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS LEVEL! ha… look out world!)
Some days I not only don’t feel hope, but wonder if some day I’ll look back and say “oh, that was the time to panic.”
There’s a way your doctor’s comment feels comforting even in its discomfort. There is always trouble, somewhere, all the time. But it comes and goes. The world is full of big courage and big fears, but I think it might run on the small courage of the changing seasons, and of people who celebrate birthdays or make dinner or fight their own fears, every day. Thanks for sharing this – and when the leaves fall from the trees in the golf course below our house, we can see the Blue Mountains, so yes!
Hope feels easier some days than others. and pretty much everything is easier (and more hopeful ❤️) after a decent night’s sleep. Thank you for those encouraging words and the lovely photos!