Hope is the lifeline
that keeps me sane these days

Sometimes the darkness
of my son’s mental illness,
the crazy situations that life invents,
and my own chronic issues
drown me in a sea of overwhelm

Then hope shows itself

In the laughter of the boys nextdoor
the chirp of a bold red Cardinal
the beauty of a majestic purple flower
the magic of music
the sigh of a dry earth receiving rain
the sparkle of stars in a night sky
the words of a friend
a whisper from God

There is hope
even when life seems it’s worst