Being hopeful in hard times is a sign not of delusion, but of health
Hopefulness, even when illogical, is a healthy state of mind.
In his piece “An Essay on Man” (1732), poet Alexander Pope crafted the famous phrase, “hope springs eternal.” We still like it all these centuries later because it sums up the healthy human spirit. Human beings “hope against hope” in dire situations, when there is no apparent reason to, and no evidence that salvation might arise. But we Jews have always engaged in this sort of belief. Our hope in G-d is part of our national identity and the force that fuels our prayers for Redemption.
I watched all my friends become pregnant with their first child and then their second and third while my own situation never changed. While they were making bar mitzvahs and then weddings, I was still waiting — and hoping — to hold a baby of my own in my arms.
Those close to me tried to discourage me, claiming they didn’t want to see me hurting so much. “Wouldn’t it be better,” they argued, “to just be happy and concentrate on the many blessings you have?” It was hard for me to stay silent when they’d say that. Who were they to rob me of my hope? It came from inside my heart; it kept me going all those years.
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