1) we keep finding bugs, amphibians & animals we thought were extinct that were ACTUALLY just in unexpected places.
2) there have been Major scientific breakthroughs on the medical understanding of the immune system! As in more than 1 that have ACTUALLY reached several successful human trials! HIV has a major new vaccine, Cystic Fibrosis has an amazing new treatment, Long COVID & other Chronic Fatigue Sufferers have a very promising new treatment (nasal scraping, it's currently being researched in Japan) & the overall understanding of Major Autoimmune Dysfunction has accelerated in the last 5 years, thanks to an increased awareness in medical research.
3) and last but not least. I personally try to always remember that my great grandmother lived through: The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, Extreme Poverty, Polio (which my grandma survived), several extremely serious Pneumonias & the grief brought by being "the last one" of her family as well as outliving my Papa, her spouse of 50+ years.
She was a person who had to fight for every scrap of food & bit of money she ever had. And yet? Despite all the grief & pain that comes with living through multiple "world changing" events, she was always trying to smile & encourage myself & my family. My granny could be sharp or grouchy, but she tried every day to find something to smile about. Even when she felt like she'd lived long enough, granny said she was glad to still be around for her great grandkids & to help where she could despite having poor health & awful arthritis.
I try to live up to that strength of character. I try to remember that if nothing else, I have people in my life that *want* me to grow & learn & change. And even if I was alone, I know that the world can turn on a dime. I'd rather be here to witness how our world changes, than to let the Pit of Despair eat me whole.
When I'm depressed or in pain (I have a migraine while I'm writing this), I think about how much luck & joy goes in to the art I love. I think about how the way the light changes on my walls is such a fascinating way to see time move. I think about how, regardless of the World At Large, I still have small ways to enjoy myself on this particle of space dust. Even if it's as simple as feeling the texture of my favorite stuffed animal.
I chose to start with the Big things, cause I think that's what most people think of when talking about Hope. But for me, I often find more hope & perspective in the tiny parts of my life. In the shitty patio garden I keep for the bugs & the birds. In the smiley faces my friends send me cause they heard I feel bad. In the changing of the light as I remind myself that not only does time pass, but it *will* pass regardless of how much some people wish to live forever.
Hope is about remembering things end, at least for me. And they will always end. So even if I can't get to my migraine medication, I *will* feel better. Even if I can't save the moth that died on my porch, I can know it's end was expected & moths will visit me again. The weight of existential fear is a lot easier to bear when you remember, your body can't make a feeling last forever. The Dread itself will be forced to leave, cause your body & time can't keep it. Even the worst grief & the most painful anxiety can & will fade under the constant passing of time.
This Too Shall Pass is a bitter comfort, in a lot of ways. I'm not going to pretend.
But it's always felt like a more useful truth to me than "it'll get better" which is equally true.
Regardless, I hope that you find some peace out there <3
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
