Most often we think of hope in terms of visualizing and anticipating a promising and happy future. Today I heard a true story of a man unjustly imprisoned. He had been in prison for 10 years and decided to commit suicide using a plastic bag twisted up into a rope. On the very day he planned to do this, he fell asleep and dreamed of his happy childhood. He could see himself playing in the ocean while a beautiful woman stood on the beach. The woman was his mother. He awoke with renewed hope, and did indeed eventually regain his freedom. This is a striking story for it underlines an important and oft overlooked source of hope. It can be derived not only from dreams about the future, but from riches of the past in which we were given nurture and love. Today let us pause and think of past riches and how blessed we have been on our journey finding renewed hope there.
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