THURSDAY THOUGHTS - A Perfect Brightness of Hope

Seven months ago my mother died and two days ago we welcomed a granddaughter who bears her name. Tamsin Joyce Bernard weighed in at 7 pound 14 ounces and was 19 inches long. In my mind’s eye, I could picture my mother giving her all kinds of advice before she made her way here to bless our lives. Of course, once I entered the room, she never left my arms until we were ready to go home. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her perfect little face with such even features and the healthy glow of her soft baby skin. She slept peacefully while we were there and I am sure it was because her new grandma was holding her. With several family members and two exhausted new parents in the room to celebrate her arrival, the mood was on of jubilance, joy and gratitude.

My mind then wandered to the only other time I have been in the American Fork Hospital. The mood then was tense and anxious, as many of these same family members were there to support me during my Breast Cancer surgery some 3 1/2 years ago. Suddenly, it hit me that ironically, in both of these situations, there was a common thread…..a great sense of hope. We have high hopes for Tamsin’s future and we will all play our parts in nurturing her along the road to adulthood. During my surgery we all had hope for the best scenario and that I could beat this disease. I was able to do this through faith, prayers, much support from friends and family, and the wonderful advances in medical technology.

 On Sunday I read a brief book review on a book entitled,” A Perfect Brightness of Hope” by Davis S. Baxter. In this book he teaches that no success in life is possible without hope for “Without hope, we are at the mercy of life’s events.” I intend to purchase this book very soon and digest its positive message. There simply cannot be too much hope in the world; hope for success; hope for world peace; hope for good health; hope for financial security; hope for spiritual strength and hope that our loved ones, now gone, are in a better place. Whether we are welcoming new babies, bidding love ones good bye, fighting Cancer or other difficult health issues, facing any number of family struggles, or just plodding along putting one foot in front of the other each day, “A Perfect Brightness of Hope,” as Baxter so aptly phrased the title of his book, will greatly bless our lives.

Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member, Lifting Hearts