I believe in hope. I believe that hope is one of the bare necessities of life, and without it, we would all cease to exist. We would only see the bitterness of the world, and that would essentially kill us, at least on a subconscious level. The world wouldn’t be filled with the joyful, fun-loving people it is filled with today, but rather it would be painted in hues of black, white and grey. Hope is at the core of our existence, and it is what keeps us going, fighting our battles, overcoming our fears, and living life every day.

Since we are children, we witness the evils of the world: hatred, crime, racism, sadness, pain, and death to name a few. What keeps us going? Hope. Hope that we can, as individuals, as a society, as a nation, and as a species overcome all of our issues. Have we overcome certain issues in the past? Yes. So what’s stopping us from believing, from hoping, that we can overcome the issues in our lives and societies today?

I am not arguing that hope solves problems, gives freedom to suppressed peoples, or removes pain all together. But in order to tackle those bigger issues one needs to be able to believe that things can, and will, change. Believing in the world changing for the better is hope, and in order for any change, big or small, to occur, one needs to believe it is possible.

I believe it is important to never give up hoping, no matter how low our chances or how cloudy the skies. We must always remember that we are strong enough as individuals and as societies to overcome any battles we are fighting, for hope is the backbone of our strength. I know that often it can be hard to believe that things will get better, but it is extremely important to not give up on that last strand of color one has left.

Some people believe that hope is weakness, but I disagree, because without hope, we are nothing.