The Creative Work of Hope

Mechanitis butterfly chrysalis
(no attribution that I can find on the internet...)

Hope is a word that has been floating around on the surface of my awareness lately. Here are some of my encounters with the word:

"Hope is not an emotion, but hope is a cognitive, behavioral process that we learn when we experience adversity, when we have relationships that are trustworthy, when people have faith in our ability to get out of a jam." (Brené Brown on the work of C. R. Snyder, in her interview with Krista Tippet)

"I do like that . . . idea of hope as a function of struggle. It's almost like, you know, it would be counterintuitive, counterculturally, to say we need to struggle with this honestly, vulnerability, to cultivate the hope that we need to figure out what's next." (Krista Tippet in her interview with Brené Brown)

"There was a theologian from the mid-1900s who kind of described hope as an attitude toward the future that we cannot see, but we trust that somehow it's held by God and that there are possibilities beyond what we can even imagine." (Father Mike Surufka in his interview on Losing Our Religion)

Hope used to mean something escapist and fantastical to me, but lately I've been seeing it more as hard work, as practice in walking the invisible path. Hope has become a constructive enterprise that calls for creativity—anticipating future possibilities with the attitude of an artist who has seen the final creation in her head—as well as vulnerability—accepting the possibility of hope unfulfilled. Hope, these days any way, is a truly brave act.

Postmodern Hymn: I Am the Starlight

Big Star, by frecklefaced29

One of the final songs from the musical Starlight Express, by Andrew Lloyd Weber, is a sweet song about finding out that all the answers you seek come from within. 

The Starlight Express is a musical made for children: it tells the tale of toy cars who come to life. Rusty, the protagonist train, calls on the Starlight Express for help in winning a race. I got to see this musical when I was a child, and the magic of seeing people on roller skates, acting like trains, and singing with such hope has stayed with me all this time.

I think it's good every now and then to return to childhood fantasies and see the world again in a playful, hopeful way.

Spring!

Look out for spring!

And Then It's Spring is Philip and Erin Stead's latest book together. I think the video captures the feeling of waiting for spring so well. Isn't there something primal in the faith it takes to plant seeds and wait for them to sprout?

This year, spring has come early for our part of the world, so there was less faith involved and more wonder at the sudden signs of life. I walked outside one morning, and suddenly the trees were white and cloud-like.

Nevertheless, the video has me thinking about sowing seeds and tending my garden. What habits would you like to cultivate?

Song of the Day: Dying to Live

Johnny Lang can sing it, and that's there all there is to it.

Hope Is a Thing That Floats Like a Balloon

Let's face it, life is about flux and change, and it takes serious hope to see an overarching narrative to discontinuous events. Everyday I can't say for certain what the next day will look like.

Even when things feel pretty steady, it takes a certain amount of bravery to be present in the moment and to accept that the moment will soon be gone.

That's where the balloons come in. Balloons are great cheery symbols of hope. I knew someone who described her partner as her "mylar balloon." We all need someone to be our cheerleader and our messenger of hope, but even more, we need to adopt that encouraging voice within ourselves.  

Boy with Balloons, by Kamala Kannan, via National Geographic

It also helps to remember that whatever situation we're in is a human condition shared by more people than we could ever imagine. Accepting where we are and what we're feeling is what feeds our compassion and what makes life beautiful.

Hot Air Balloon, by Bruce Dale, via National Geographic

6,400,099,180 moments

When I pay attention, I find hope and joy in the simple act of living.

Landscape, by Annabel Hewitt

If there are 6,400,099,180 moments in a day, that's a lot of preciousness to soak up.

Sunflowers, by Annabel Hewitt

Maybe it because I sat with my soul yesterday, but I'm feeling a little more joyful, a little more hopeful about life's surprises yet to come.

The Soul's Mandate

Sailing away to the Moon, by Harrison Howard
via Stylebeat

"Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul."
    —Edward Abbey

I discovered this quotation from Free Will Astrology, which is always an excellent resource for inspiration. Edward Abbey may have had a different idea of action than I do, but that's the beauty of individuality. And anyway, I doubt any soul's sentiments can be narrowed to a single action or even a single theme.

To put that idea in another form, and to get a little Zen, what are the soul's sentiments, anyway? Speaking from my own experience, my soul is about as mysterious as the moon, and all I can do is be actively, mindfully present with that mystery.

Song of the Day: End of the Line

I heard the Traveling Wilburys singing "End of the Line" the other day, and it instantly made me feel like I was ready for whatever the day brought. No matter what, it was going to be all right.

"Well it's all right, even if they say you're wrong
Well it's all right, sometimes you gotta be strong
Well it's all right, as long as you got somewhere to lay
Well it's all right, everyday is judgement day"

(You know the Traveling Wilburys, right? They're the Avengers-like group of music superheros: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. Awesome.)

Sacred Space: Chartres Cathedral

It's time for another pilgrimage, friends!

This time, we'll visit the great cathedral of Chartres, completed in 1290. (My husband and I visited the cathedral just this summer, while it was undergoing renovations. It's amazing how light the stone became when renovated; it's a completely different space--light and happy. We're looking forward to seeing again some day when the renovations are complete.)

Chartres is famous for its beautiful, old stained glass. Much of it is a gorgeously rich blue color. Besides the lovely colors, the artists creatively portrayed the classic stories of the Bible. One of the most famous windows is called the "Blue Virgin." Below her are panels depicting Christ's temptations and the wedding at Cana. (Isn't it a lovely transformational image? struggle with the shadow → marriage of opposites → wisdom...)

The "Blue Virgin" of Chartres, taken by me

Chartres is also famous for its labyrinth, which visitors can still walk along each Friday in the summer. I love labyrinths, because they symbolize the great faith required in spiritual wandering. As you walk, you wonder, when will I reach the center? But the beautiful thing is, you always do reach the center, the rose of enlightenment. You're never lost.

from the book Alle Tiders Labyrinter, by Jørgen Thordrup, via Lavigne

Song of the Day: Klara

Ólöf Arnalds wrote "Klara" for her younger sister, in celebration of her eighteenth birthday. In the song, Ólöf asks Klara when she is coming to visit and encourages her to keep drawing. (You can find Icelandic lyrics here, and then try to decipher them using the sometimes-handy translate tool in google.)

Whenever I hear this song, I feel so encouraged; it feels like Ólöf calling all of us to pursue our youthful dreams and to live joyfully. The light sound of the charango and Ólöf's warbling voice makes the song sound like it's been played for hundreds of years.

Future Fictions

Thumbelina, by Maxwell Armfield

My husband is one of those people who innately plans and dreams for the future. It's something I've always admired about him. I'm more of a minute-by-minute kind of gal, and as fun as that is, I'm sometimes left wondering where the time has gone.

I do believe that dreaming and imagining the future is one of the best ways to be an active participant in your life. When I visualize what a successful day looks like, I find that I'm happier at the end of it. My successful day? It includes a nice walk with the dog, a short meditation, time being social, and of course, the feeling that I've been productive. What about you, dear reader? What makes a great day?

The Little Mermaid, by Maxwell Armfield

"The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof."

   —Barbara Kingsolver

(Thanks to Yum & Yuk for the quotation.)