Hopes

"Remember...hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."
Andy Dufresne’s letter to Red from the movie "The Shawshank Redemption"

During the 10+ years I volunteered for the Cancer Council Victoria, the key word used as inspiration for people involved in Relay For Life events was "Hope". It was hope for better outcomes for cancer patients, for their families, for success into research, and more. It was motivated hope - a physical and emotional demonstration of what we hoped would be the eventual outcome of continued support for the Cancer Council, and the work it accomplishes.

Hopes - and the dreams that often underpin them - are an huge part of what makes society work, and progress to occur. We put faith in the things we do, in those around us, and contribute our own energy in the hope that the things we desire will come to being. Hope works on lots of different levels.

In looking around there’s all kinds of hope in people around. There's mothers and fathers hoping their kids grow up happy and healthy. There's business people hoping for success, students hoping they pass exams, pilots hoping their plane doesn't crash, taxi drivers hoping for a good fare, philanthropists hoping their beneficiaries improve their situation. Everyone is hoping for something. Often there's multiple people hoping for different outcomes from the same situation...neither right or wrong, just people with their own hopes.

It's the strength of hope succeeding upon which progress is made...making new discoveries and breakthroughs are made...people pushing beyond their limits to new frontiers, or learning more to improve their knowledge and situation. Hope has been at the heart of great things, from James Cook discovering Australia to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. Whether it's big or small, personal or open, it's the hope we have that keeps us alive and striving for what we believe in, pulling us inexorably in that direction. Having hopes and dreams, and working towards them, is inspiring.

“There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them."
Clare Boothe Luce, American Diplomat and Writer

But what happens when there is no hope? When it feels like a lost cause. When it seems that night follows night, without day in between. What hope is there then? Well, there IS no hopeless situation. There IS something that can be gained from every scenario...as small and meek as it might be. A kick up the ar*e is a step forward, and that's what is important. Just keep going forwards and you'll build some hope. Winston Churchill once said, "When you're going through hell, keep going." Amen.

This week I'm filled with my own hopes. I hope that the operation I'm lined up for on Saturday goes well. I hope the surgeon has a good day at work...and so too for his anaesthetist, and all the hospital staff. I hope the recovery goes well - something I have a direct role in - and I hope I'm back on track doing the running that I love sooner rather than later. It’s my hope of being able to run again – to race again – that’s motivating me to be a good patient. In the greater scheme of the world my hopes are insignificant, but for now they’re giving me enthusiasm and energy for what’s ahead. I can’t wait.