“Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them.”—Father James Keller, MM (founder of the Christophers)
I believe people are born with character. I have raised three children out of infancy and watched all of them develop very different and unique character traits. Some of those traits were with them from the day they were born.
My oldest loves touch. As an infant, he could not rest unless he was next to someone. As an eleven year old, he holds that trait ... he never likes to be alone, thrives on hugs and will not go to bed without his brother nearby.
My middling is inquisitive. Even as an infant, he was curious. He looked at everything up close, felt it, memorized it. He was early to bed, early to rise with no questions asked. Eight years later, he loves to ask questions. He memorizes every detail of every song, book, or show he is interested in. He crashes at night early, and is up with the sun.
My baby girl was a very gentle infant. Very relaxed and mellow. She loved being a baby. She loved to snuggle, and she loved people. As a three year old, she is fearless, yet relaxed. She enjoys talking to everyone, yet shy. She loves being the baby ... loves to snuggle.
I also know that the environment will continue to influence them and their development. I know they each are individual, have a mind of their own, and I only have a window of time where I can control some of that influence. This used to frighten the dickens out of me ... but that is another story in itself!
I guess what I’m getting at ... what I’ve been pondering on ... is hope. Hope for every individual I come across in my life. Whether it be my husband, my children, my family, my friends ... or other people I meet along the way.
And, it has been in my character for as long as I can remember, that I hope the best for all people in my life. In my childhood, adolescence and young adult years, this character trait turned out to be nothing but a colossal disappointment. People would disappoint me right and left. Adults, teachers, friends ... parents ... siblings ... And, for some time, I started to lose that hope in people.
As I’ve grown in my faith ... grown up as a person ... and have become more aware of the world around me ... I grew to know that every person has imperfections. Every person makes life changing mistakes. Every person has the ability to hurt someone. Every person has a dark secret that has changed them.
And yet ... Every person deserves hope.
Every person in my life deserves for me look for the hope in them. Not harp on the worst, like the beginning quote mentions. Even the patients I care for in the hospital... the ones that are so easy to judge and so easy to be disappointed in. They deserve me to hope for them.
We are all born with character. And, with life influences... we all become capable of making very bad choices. But, we are all very capable of doing good... being good, loving people.
We all deserve hope.
Ponder that.
I am.
