Hope Embroidered Bonds Elijah John G. Buencamino Victory Christian International School
Hope is the light that guides and pushes us to soar higher and higher to an unimaginable zenith. It is the light slipping through a small crack on a dark cavern’s wall. When we lose sight of our path, when we are discouraged, hope reminds us to look up and to recover without falter. It is a spark, capable of igniting the most furious and magnificent of flames. Like fire, it spreads. Hope is shared in numerous ways. We share hope even when we do not intend to. Sharing hope does not have to be through words alone. Whenever we achieve impressive feats with perseverance, we share hope. When we give a hand to anyone who has been knocked down, we share hope. With every selfless act, we share hope. With every storm you brave through in life, you give hope to the people around you. We are not gods. We are but proud yet powerless humans. We rely on each other to overcome difficulties because hope cannot thrive without solidarity. Hope is the by-product of our bonds with one another. The true, good human nature is summoned within us through hope. When we inspire one another, when we build each other up, our hope grows. The hope we continuously share and build together then becomes a constructive foundation where we can stand firmly on through trials and tribulations. The memories forged, exchanged smiles, and gestures of approval all become building blocks to our own hope-fortress. Most of the time, we just need someone to remind us that as long as we are breathing, a grand future awaits us granted that we fight vigorously with hope in our hearts. Indeed, hope is networked through relationships.
Stories of hope vary from one to another. Your personal story is a source of hope. Our lives are meant to be groomed to become beacons of hope. Unbeknownst to us, we touch lives just by living. With this in mind, I am calling you to action. With every action you commit to, for yourself, or for another, do it with an attitude brimming over with hope. If you cannot seem to find hope for yourself, find it for others. Never stop believing so that in sharing hope, the people you have given it to would return the hope you have created out of love. We hold the responsibility to leave no corner of the Earth hopeless. There is light in everyone. Everyone is given the capability to inspire and give hope. You are definitely no exception. There is a great light waiting to greet you and everyone else on the horizon. Never lose sight of that light. Your friends will help you, and you help them. We are always connected to one another. No one is ever truly alone. Never be afraid. Look for hope in everything, especially in the people and things you hold dear. Believe in the reality of love—that it exists; that your heart will always be reached; and that you will never have to wander aimlessly. Live on, and create hope. Do not be content with just receiving it, pass it on. Deciding to live life to the full and to strive for the best can inspire your peers to be hopeful as well. Be the light and empower the people around you to be the light for others too. The moment you learn to see the hope within yourself, to be aware of your own potential, you encourage everyone you know to find hope within them. They cannot find it? Show it to them. No matter how small, hope is not a scalar quantity, but a vector. Hope is not measured, it gives direction. Understand this and point yourself and others to the future, to victory. The special thing with hope is, no matter what circumstances we may be facing, with
hope, we will continue to soar skyward. No matter how impossible, discouraging, and preposterous a situation is, hope continues, because that is its very essence. Hope is hardwired within our very souls. It will never be lost. It will wait for you, and it will always be close enough for you to take hold of it. So long as we choose to live through every day, there will be hope. And when we choose to live earnestly with one another, hope will always grow, endure, and multiply. Doubt will never take hold of us. With hope, we have the strength to face tomorrow. So live on, and hope.