As the sun hangs a little longer in the sky, buds erupt into leaves, flowers start to bloom, and the snow is but puddles on the ground, the smell of spring fills the air and signals a new beginning. It’s a fresh start, bidding adieu to the gloom of winter, celebrating the warm weather and the cool breeze.
Spring is a time of hope. As wars rage in Palestine, Ethiopia, Yemen and Ukraine, amid much injustice and suffering resulting from ethnic and . . .
religious hatred in many parts of the world, in a seemingly endless pandemic and a global climate crisis, hope is essential. It is also irrepressible.
Hope breeds hope. It is contagious. Time and time again, we have seen it reflected when community members come together to celebrate, honour or mourn.
The one thing that never falters is knowing your community has your back. Whether it is something as simple as helping people grow a garden as did the folks at the Quyon library who set up a seed library, a hockey tournament that’s raising funds to support a family facing a tragic loss, or an art teacher inspiring kids to use the power of art to stand up and show solidarity with Ukraine, the people of the Pontiac can be counted on to come together to lift each other up.
Hope can be seen in the continuous fight to advocate for better healthcare services, by signing a petition to open the obstetrics unit, or donating to your local food bank. It can be seen through a church service to pray for the people facing tragedy and to offer some healing. Hope is also patiently waiting until it’s safe to be around loved ones without the fear of covid looming over us. It’s having faith in a safer tomorrow.
When faced with darkness, it is important to hold on to these moments that reassure us that there is still a lot of good to experience, to share with others. When surrounded by the cruelty of the world it is so easy to lose sight of brighter days and forget the tenderness we once felt.
As the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, take the time to pick up a book and go outside, share some of your gardening tricks with your neighbour, open a window and enjoy the sounds of birds at dawn. We have endured many hardships, and with that comes knowledge that the sun does rise again, life does go on and that there is hope, there is always hope.
Zainab Al-Mehdar
