Driving up Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, I stopped for a light, and to my right in the plaza was an art piece. I had been working on an essay about hope, so it felt like something sent to me. The bright letters of hope were striking.
We often think of hope when we are struggling with something. This sculpture represents the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation. After five years of living with breast cancer, Lynn died at 39, wanting to leave something to fight this cancer for her daughters. Since its inception 40 years ago, the Foundation has raised over $45 million for research, doctor education, and trials. In this Breast Cancer Awareness month of October, Lynn Sage would have been 80 years old. I have two sisters, a niece, and friends who are breast cancer survivors, so I celebrate them today.
When I was a child, my sisters and I would sing together at community events. Mother made us outfits alike. One of our songs was “High Hopes”. The song was popularized by Frank Sinatra, whose recording won an Oscar at the time. It is a whimsical song about an ant being able to move a big rubber tree plant because he had “high hopes.” As I was reminiscing about those days with my sisters, I was touched by a piece Brene Brown wrote about despair and how hope helps us out of our dark place. She quoted psychologist C. R. Snyder, whose research shows that hope is a powerful antidote to despair. Snyder says hope is not an emotion, but a cognitive-behavioral process. It’s about having a goal, a pathway to achieve that goal, and a sense of agency or “I can do this.” (Brene Brown, Facebook, November 8, 2024)
So, if we consider what we can realistically accomplish, think about how we will do it, and then move forward with our actions, that is hope. It may be a small part of what needs to be done, but it will be our contribution to the community’s whole. Doing our part, combined with others doing theirs, will make the difference.
We may not get to see how our part will bring about the change that is needed. Just as Lynn Sage had hope in a Foundation that would help others, we must have hope that extends beyond our lifetime. I have a daughter, a son-in-law, nieces and nephews, and grandsons who will live after me. They and their counterparts will benefit from the hope I am putting to work right now in this challenging time we are living through. My hope inspires me to fight against autocratic leadership today and reclaim democracy in our country. I may not see the changes, but I will do what I can to make things right for those who come after me.