Reasons to Hope

"I have so much fear, Please give me some hope that these next few years will be okay."

One of my best friends texted me this an hour after President Biden was inaugurated.

We survived the last four years, we will survive the next four. Just like we survived Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, both Bushes and Obama.

But our hope comes from the people around us.

The ones who helped neighbors look for a lost cat with a white cat with a black tail or find a home for a stray puppy that had to be coaxed out of the bushes.

The ones who are finding new ways to celebrate Mardi Gras, keeping the spirit alive and float makers and artists employed.

The one who pledged a $1 donation to the Penelope House shelter for victims of domestic violence for every strand of Mardi Gras beads thrown over a branch of the oak tree in front of her house.

The one who creates cakes that are works of art, too beautiful to eat.

The ones who voluntarily pulled trash from creeks, rivers and Mobile Bay.

The ones who provide work and training programs for those who are homeless, have done jail time, or need a second, third or fifth chance.

The ones who get sober or work their way through addictions or bad relationships, then help others going through the same thing.

The ones who teach grandchildren to ride a bike.

The one who gave a second chance on a chemistry test that most of the class failed.

The one who ordered groceries for a stranger after reading a post on Facebook.

The one who paints "There is no better high than discovery" on a mural to honor our area's most famous scientist .

The ones who lit candles to remember those who died from COVID.

The ones who mentor kids who aren't their own to keep them from falling through cracks.

The one who listens to the problems and needs of riders on her Wave bus, then does something about it.

Presidents come and go. What matters most is how we the people treat each other.