Why Hope, Love, and Gratitude

Well, my initial response to that question is, why the hell not?

In all actuality, I have learned that hope, love, and gratitude make a difference in healing and everyday life. The problem is that I choose to forget that these three actions are very helpful.

Hope

Hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.”

Over the years, hope has been key to my outlook and recovery from setbacks. Typically, I have had a trip to look forward to keep the hope going for a period of time. In the short term, I focus on each day getting a little better. It does not always happen, but I will be hopeful.

Love

Love is defined as “an intense, deep affection for another person. Love also means to feel this intense affection for someone. Love can also refer to a strong liking for something or to liking something a lot. Love has many other senses, both as a verb and a noun.”

There are several types of love that we all experience differently. Many of us think of romantic love when we hear the word love. Another type is unconditional love, which may be described as the love of a parent to a child.

In my experience, I have learned to love my imperfect self and do my best to love others as they are. In addition, it is important to allow yourself to be loved. For me, this was hard.

As patients, we notice the little expressions of love from those who take care of and support us. As a patient many times over, I hope I can show that love to others whenever I can.

Gratitude

Gratitude is the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in life, big or small. It can involve recognizing and acknowledging the people, things, or moments that bring joy, peace, or comfort.

It is easy to forget that you are thankful for what you have when you can easily compare what you do not have and wish for it. From my experience, slowing down, looking around wherever you may be, and realizing what you are thankful for can change your mindset.  

Yes, some days are tough, but there is always something to be grateful for.

So, what is something you have hope in, love, and are grateful for?

B

In our house, the Disney brand has brought us great hope, love and gratiude!