I consider myself an optimist. Glass half empty means someone got a half glass of water! Half glass full, look at all the water in your future! No water, well at least it’s a nice glass. No glass, no dishes. I could go on.

The only nourishment hope needs is itself.

I find lately though that things have been reversed. There’s hope in my head and logic in my heart. I believe that there are tough times ahead, but if I lose hope, I’ll lose something else, too. And I can’t afford that now. I can’t afford to wallow because tough times are coming and someone needs to be prepared to say this is doable. We need optimists to pull things back together, even when we know that the glass of water is smashed, the hand that held it is bleeding profusely, and the water is likely poisoned. Someone still needs to say “hey, but you’re here still. We can get other glasses, different water.”And I have gone on, for a lifetime. There’s hope in my heart and reason in my head. With those two things, even the difficult times felt temporary. Something good was on the horizon.

But right now it feels like I’m watching someone I care for go in slow motion for the glass they cannot catch before the shattering. It is taking a lot of will to find hope. So here it is. I challenge each of you to think of three things we can hope for. And if you are one of the people looking around asking what we can do to increase the hope in this world, I encourage you to do a kind act. Rake leaves for an elderly neighbor. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you. Send a letter to a friend you haven’t spoken to recently. Tell your loved one how much they mean to you. It doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be a gift of kindness.

Here’s a list of the good, far as I can count it:

-The outpouring of empathy from people who feel the hurt and have the instinct to support those impacted.

-The opportunity shortly to participate in a peaceful transition of power that strengthens our democratic republic

-The prospect of children excitedly dressing as beloved characters coming to ask as candy. We got full size candy bars this year, I’m really hoping for best house in the circuit!

What do you have that grounds or motivates you? What kind deeds have you done or have been done for you recently?