#hold on to hope

[thatboreddrake]

How do you maintain hope? I keep seeing posts about it and I want to have that. I miss feeling like things might be okay

First off, my deepest apologies for taking so long to reply to this one. I wanted to make sure that I gave it its due attention, because it really is important.

Now, I feel like there's several layers to this one. Because 100%, it started for me from a perspective of "well someone's got to." I saw the people around me were hurting and wanted to do something about it. The way I settled on was to be that ray of hope, that person who truly believes that things can get better, that the best is yet to come.

But that's not enough, not anymore anyway. Because an ingrained part of that was the idea that my issues didn't matter. That I shouldn't talk with people about the things I was dealing with, because why should I add to their burden? They were already going through so much! But all that led me to was a growing melancholy and frustration with my own feelings.

And so, slowly but surely, I've started to open myself up to other people. To tell them about the things I was struggling with. And you know what they said? They certainly didn't minimize or dismiss my struggles, as I for years had worried that they would. No, when I expressed my feelings, that I shouldn't burden them with the things bothering me, they looked me in the eye and told me: "The fact that you're hurting is enough. It doesn't matter how small it is."

And as I've started to be more open on here, I've been fortunate enough to find like-minded people. My friends like @ivebeensetonfire and @minty-cheese who consistently reiterate that we are loved, and that we *will* make it through.

And there's definitely a part of me that still feels like I have to hold onto hope, otherwise I wouldn't be able to function. How could I ever move forward if I didn't believe that things could change for the better?

And this is definitely where my faith plays a part. For context, I was born and raised as a Christian, and I still hold that faith to be my own. Now, I certainly don't believe the same way that my parents do (I think I put a lot more weight in God's love and compassion than they do), but that doesn't mean that I'm no longer a Christian.

So yeah, I believe with absolute confidence that the best is yet to come. But I don't want that to just be some nebulous platitude of "someday the world will get better so I'll sit and wait for that day." No, Jesus calls Christians to love and serve people, to be His hands and feet in this world.

And so I hold on to hope. I offer a word of encouragement wherever I can. I lend a listening ear when it is needed because sometimes all someone needs is someone to hear their plight. And I strive not to counter with hollow positivity because I know that often all that does is twist the knife deeper. I know that sometimes, all you need is someone to say "I know that sucks. I'm here for you. Let's get through this together."

And seeing as you sent me this ask, I assume that you're probably one of my mutuals. So hear this and believe me: I love you. I'm here for you, and I want to do whatever I can to help you. I can't force positivity or hope, but I will continue to speak to it. So if you ever need love, encouragement, a kind word, a listening ear: we're here. Me, and many others like me.

I hope that that answered your question, if in a somewhat roundabout way. To be fully transparent, there are many days when I start to despair, feeling like I'll never be able to move beyond where I am now. All you can do is to take the next step. Because as long as we keep moving forward, I believe that we will see the sun rise again.

[rais3dheart]

happy bvb day!!! this band, along with its fans and its message have made such a huge impact on me!! lots of love to all you lovely people<33

[calmmyfears]

i can only hold on to all of my hope left in humanity that other governments/ rich people in power won't take an example out of trump administration and how the us citizens react.

[miscellaneousjay]

Heavy on this! Especially if they are the SAME GOTDAMN PERSON!!!👀

[mroddmod]

out of context meme of an au i'm cooking

[reallybadblackoutpoems]

the picture of dorian gray (1890) - oscar wilde

"fuck my yaoi life"

[hinamie]

matching eye horror for u and ur back-from-the-dead bestie <333

[drinker-of-paint]

I was so nervous to do this but

Eye docs

I'm so wearing these when I go to Manchester for the protocol s2 thing

[ionomycin]

necromancer's lure

[sirazaroff]

I dedicate this post to the funniest beef ever

[egophiliac]

looking at next month's schedule and between the end of 7-12 and the wishing lantern event it's like

February is officially RIDDLE MONTH, brace yourselves to be absolutely blasted into ashes everybody

[tawnysoup]

You both jump in place for a bit, grinning.

[paintedcrows]

Had a silly thought about hypothetical cat curse shenanigans with @dark-lord-of-awesomeness's How to Cat Burglar a Family ;)

Bonus doodle!!

[ghosthazard]

Take Aim

[datcravat]

SCIENCE BEGETS TRUTH✨

[soulmvtes]

sunday nights are for reflecting on your entire life and the fragile state of your present moment and what the future may look like