Hope: “Hold On Pain Ends”

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain outcome  to happen. Hope pushes us and encourages us to do our daily tasks, in pursuit of a goal It helps us imagine  a better future.  When people are going through a difficult time, it is common for them to say things such as “I’ve lost all hope” or “I have no hope anymore”. In this article, we will talk about why it is important to find and grasp a hold of hope, even in your toughest times:

What exactly is hope and why it is so important to have?

The  definition of hope defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment, to cherish a desire with anticipation, to want something to happen or be true, to expect with confidence.”. Hope gives us something to look forward to, something to hold on to throughout our lives. It makes us happy, it helps us through tough times.. Sometimes, the word hope is used as an acronym for “hold on pain ends”. I think this acronym is perfect and sums up the word in its entirety. Hope is like a rope to grab onto that will guide you through life.

The Tunnel, the Backpack, and the Rope

I have used the example of “the tunnel, the backpack, and the rope” many times to explain to others  how  I feel, and also to teach  others how they might be feeling or someone they love and care about may be feeling. Try to think of life as a tunnel. When you are born, you get put in this tunnel with nothing but a backpack which only you can see, and a rope that guides you to the end (this rope is hope). When you make friends and create relationships and are happy, the tunnel is optimistic and the backpack is light, the tunnel is filled with windows and brightness and life is easy. It’s easy to hold onto the rope that guides you through life… but sometimeslife gets hard when you start to isolate yourself, or your friends and family seem to be less present; the tunnel’s windows start to shrink, leaving you in the dark. The backpack starts to get filled with grief, loss, sadness, and worry. It feels like you’re going to collapse because the weight of the backpack is pulling you down, and you are scared because you’re all alone in the dark, never-ending tunnel. This is the time when you couldn’t get out bed because you were too sad, this is the time you couldn’t go to school because you were too scared, this is the time when you said: “I’ve lost all hope”. When you are deep in the dark tunnel with the backpack weighing you down, this is the most important time to grab ahold of that rope. The rope gives you the strength and the power to get out of the tunnel and find the end. The rope also can help you open up those windows again and help you find brightness.

In conclusion, the reason that it is necessary to keep hope even during your darkest times is that hope is the key to life. It helps guide you and helps you find your way, and finally, hope allows us to see and wish for a better future. Never give up!

Sources:

1. Campbell, Polly. “How Hope Helps Us.” Imperfect Spirituality, 10 July 2013, http://imperfectspirituality.com/2013/08/05/how-hope-helps-us/
2. “Finding Hope in Dark Times.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/your-personal-renaissance/201702/finding-hope-in-dark-times.
3. “Hope.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope.