By Sister Linda Stilling, SSND
Hope is nourished by doing little things every day.
When we live gratefully, saying thank you to others and to God, we feed hope.
When we do kind things for others - greeting them, saying kind words, holding doors open, asking how they are doing - we feed hope.
Also, getting out of our comfort zone to widen our circle to include all people feeds hope.
An example comes from a recent interaction with two Latinas.
They had come out of a building carrying buckets and brooms and other cleaning supplies. I greeted them and offered them red cards.
The cards were printed in Spanish and told the women of their Constitutionally protected rights as immigrants, whether documented or undocumented.
They read the cards, then said, "Why don't people want us here? We are doing a good job. We don't understand."
I expressed my own confusion about what was going on, and assured them of my esteem and love for them. They hugged me and thanked me for caring.
The moment has stayed with me.
I couldn't solve the problem, but I could be in relationship for a few minutes with them. It made us all feel better.
It was a little thing that I could do.
Hope calls us to little moments like this, and in saying yes, we create more hope.
Sister Linda lives in Towson, MD.
