If you google “define despair,” you’ll find the following:
Despair: 1. n– the complete loss or absence of hope; 2. v — lose or be without hope.
Ergo, “hope” could be defined as the absence of despair, wouldn’t you agree? They are yin or yang, positive or negative, Cubs or White Sox — in other words, polar opposites.
The other day we finally got a little dose of hope. Blue skies, warm sunshine and the above freezing temperatures gave us this:
Hope is almost green grass.
I know, I know — for us in the Midwest, the sight of brownish grass with a hint of green was almost too much. But when you looked closer, there was an even clearer wonder to behold:
Hope is tulip bulbs sprouting.
Along the edge of the flowerbed, the tulips were starting to peek through. These are those tulips — the ones we got for free and shoved into the ground, not knowing if they were ever going to come up or be eaten by foraging chipmunks and squirrels. I almost wept with sheer joy.
That was Tuesday.
Yesterday we awoke to this:
Ugh.
The baby tulips are covered again, as is the almost green grass. In one day we swung on the pendulum that is Spring — from warm, living hope to cold, icy despair.
It’ll melt. It has to melt. Right?
If you had to choose a photo to represent hope and despair, what would you choose? My second choice would be a lovely, untouched deep-dish pizza (hope) and an empty, grease-stained pizza box (clearly despair.)
the thing about joan... 
I am right there with you – when is it going to melt? I am beginning to feel like a crazy person. I was outside on Tuesday enjoying the almost 60 degree weather, and this morning was 9 degrees and snowy. Go away, winter!
I tried to get a picture of the little sprouts popping up. Now they are no where to be found…unless snow really, truly melts.
We haven’t even had a glimpse of hope yet…still about 3 feet of snow and ice on the ground and more to come. This really does feel like the longest winter ever…
I went to NC last weekend, enjoyed warm weather, and apparently lost my heavy coat wearing skills. Because when I got the airport to go home to NYC, I realized that I left this important item behind. With hope in my heart, I thought maybe I could survive early March with my lighter jacket. Then I saw our forecast for this past Wednesday on the news. It had one word under the day: BRUTAL. Lol…it could’ve easily said :DESPAIR. So I went out and bought another heavy coat. I heard this morning that we may have snow flurries on St. Patrick’s Day. Make it stop!
Sending you some warmth and sunshine from Southern California Joan!! Keep up the Hope!
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