Tag Archives: hope

Hope On The Winter Solstice

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It’s the Winter Solstice but it doesn’t feel like it. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. At about 30 degrees, it’s cool enough for a coat but I left my gloves behind when I fed the birds and took trash.

It’s the shortest day of the year but it barely feels like winter.

Don’t mind me. I’m in a snit because I planned to hike today but am stuck inside after an emergency tooth extraction this week. After years and thousands of dollars trying to salvage this molar, it developed some issues last week and before you could say the tooth fairy doesn’t care about adult teeth, I was being prepped for extraction.

So, today I’m home tidying the house, working on a puzzle and making some Christmas goodies. It all works out and it has been a nice day but I would much rather be on the trail right now. We were even going to a bookstore after!

A dear friend gave me the above pictured Christmas ornament yesterday. She’s had a rough couple of years due to illness but she has endured and recovered with such grace that I feel guilty complaining about my own problems.

This gift of hope she gave me will hang on my travel tree as a reminder that some journeys are through uncharted, challenging waters and sometimes through time rather than space.

I‘m proud of her bravery and am so fortunate to receive from her this gift of hope.

So I’m going to stop complaining, turn up the Christmas tunes and make some yummy goodies. Remember there’s always hope for brighter days.

Glimmer

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There are glimmers everywhere. Glimmers of hope the weekend is near. Glimmers of ideas that could change your entire day. Glimmers of opportunity to change your whole life.

And yes, glimmers of sunset over the farm down the road.

A glimmer may not be enough to start a fire but it could be enough to get you through and give you the start you need.

Dogwood Hopes

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Dogwood is in bloom in southern Ohio. This tree in my backyard has only a few blooms so far but it’s my favorite thing right now.

Dogwood is known for its symbolism, particularly in Christianity as it’s thought to represent the resurrection of Christ. The cross that Jesus was crucified on was made from dogwood.

In general, dogwood symbolizes hope, purity and renewaL Maybe that’s why I like them so much. It seems I’m constantly on the verge of a fresh start and hopeful that better days are ahead. I never really get to where I want to be but keep trying anyway.

Today is no different and I’m sure tomorrow will be the same as well. Bring on the hope, today is a new day. The dogwood is in bloom.

Hope

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“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.”

Lin Yutang

Beyond The Horizon

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We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Desert sunrise, Arches National Park, 2018

In The Company Of Angels

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You’ve likely seen dragonflies but did you know they symbolize transformation and self realization? They are said to help us on the path of discovery and enlightenment.

I have also read that when you’re among dragonflies you’re in the company of angels. If that’s the case, a chorus of angels surrounded me for much of my hike Sunday.

Dozens, if not hundreds of dragonflies flitted in and out of my path, amongst the wildflowers and weeds along the lake shore.

In this world, there are about 5,000 species of dragonflies. In Ohio, we have documented 165. On Sunday, I saw several although I cannot name them for you. I can tell you that I very much enjoyed standing on the trail watching these mysterious creatures dance in the sunlight.

With some patience, I was able to capture a handful of pictures and am grateful for each one.

It’s a comforting idea that these colorful insects with their oddly shaped bodies and translucent wings represent more than we can see and that we are among angels.

If nothing else, they give me the feeling and even the hope that I’m on the right path.