Hope

No matter where one is on the life journey, whether he or she is fighting for survival or is isolated from society, there is always hope that can be found.  The underlying theme in countless memoirs is that hope can be discovered anywhere at anytime, even at the most unexpected moments.  In the memoir A Stolen Life, by Jaycee Dugard, Dugard is kidnapped at age eleven for eighteen years.  She is rapped, abused, and forced to live in a shack in the backyard.  Her life is hanging by shreds, but Dugard finds hope to survive to the end of her nightmare.  “Mom is a sense of hope.”  Knowing that her loving mom is still out there gave Dugard the motivation to survive.  Finding hope can be a huge turning point in ones life.  Once Dugard got out of her imprisonment, she recovered from her past and now, “moves on with joy.”  Even in darkest moments of life, hope can lead one out of an endless cave to happiness.  Not only does Dugard take joy in her new life, but she also put the time into creating the Jaycee Foundation: treats families that are recovering from abduction and the aftermath of other traumatic experiences.  The Jaycee Foundation is an example of how finding hope can be so life changing; from being abused everyday for most of her childhood, to helping out others in the same situation.  As long as one can find hope, one can pursue a long, plentiful life.

 

The strength of hope is also well illustrated in the Memoir The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch.  Pausch is a 47-year-old dad of three children that is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Life seemed dim for him and his children, but he never stopped believing in living a fulfilling life.  “We can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play them.”  This quote displays how one can’t change the impossible, but will live proudly with what one has.  This kind of attitude gave hope to many others in similar situations to live life. Most of all, Pausch gave hope to his family.  “Never underestimate the importance of fun.”  He was an outstanding role model for his family on how to be grateful for life and to enjoy it while it lasts.  Even though Pausch died in 2008, his children grew up stronger than ever with just a single mother.  Pausch gave much support and hope to his wife before his death.  For example, they planned out the last 10 months of Puasch’s life to work furiously on the future financial scenario for his wife and children.  Touchy memories of Randy still flare up in the Puasch family, but for the most part, Randy left enough financial and emotional support to keep the family going strong.  The slightest sense of hope can be a deciding factor between life and death.  Hope can shine its way though any barrier or obstacle.