Hope

That’s the name our daughter Catherine and her husband Sam chose for their first-born, a daughter. This five-year old, beautiful and funny kid is the personification of her name’s essence.

However, aside from being the name of a child I cherish, the word I think is problematic in its definition. On one hand it expresses negativity, on the other the source of joy.

The phrase “I hope so,” in anticipation of an outcome, expresses doubt. The verb in that phrase conveys pessimism, subtly anticipating a negative outcome. Hope, as a verb, seems a tepid synonym for desire; as if to reconcile one to the inevitability of failure.

As a noun, however, Hope has an opposite meaning. Hope is trust in the goodness of the universe; war will cease; disease will be cured. Hope, that my life will have purpose, meaning, and legacy. This signifies one’s putting mental, emotional and spiritual energy to work, to effect the ends one wishes to achieve.