"On hope and illness"

I wrote this for the new website I just set up. Please check it out here


Having an illness reminds us of the fragility, sacredness, and brokenness of life. With illness, we learn that we are not invincible and nor are those we love. When you have been diagnosed with a life-changing illness, that illness becomes like a pair of shoes that you wear to walk in on the path of life. Sometimes the shoes can pinch your toes and make walking difficult and painful. Sometimes the shoes fit perfectly and your walk is comfortable and carefree. But it is important to remember that the shoes are on your feet, and not on your face. One who walks in a bad pair of shoes still has the choice to walk with a smile on his or her face. Similarly, our illness affects our physical body…but we have a choice on how it can affect our response to life. 

Walking down the path of life with an illness is a serious but hopeful journey. Sometimes your illness redirects your path. Sometimes you are walking on steady ground and sometimes it is rocky. Hope encourages us to continue moving forward even though we do not know where we are going. 

Hope is finding joy in waiting for that which we do not know or are uncertain about. Hope is our comfort when we are waiting for test results, waiting for appointments, waiting for symptoms to subside, waiting for healing, waiting for a cure… 

Having hope means that we know there are people who care about us. Having hope means that we promise ourselves that we will never give up even when others have already done so. Having hope means that we will always look for a detour when we reach a dead end. 

To hope means that we will try again until we succeed. To hope is to believe that we can be the exception to the statistics. To hope is to trust in something that has not yet happened. 

Hope knows that not everything has the perfect answer. Hope knows that tears are part of every difficult journey. 

Hope encourages us to take the next step. Hope encourages us to persevere. Hope encourages us to give hope to others. 

Hope is a light that shines on moments of darkness when you get a bad test result, when your illness flares up, when symptoms get worse. Hope is the power within you to control how you will respond to life’s circumstances. 

Hope holds hands with love and joy. Hope stands up to pessimism and fear. Hope says “yes” when everyone else says “never.” Hope does not believe in the impossible. 

When doubtful questions arise, hope is the answer. 

During your journey down the path of life, let hope guide your footsteps.