Hope

Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired. ~Erik Erikson

I promised I would follow up my last politically incorrect and quite cynical post with something much more upbeat - a message of hope. This whole weekend, while spending time with a person I very much love, I have seen reasons to have hope all around. But hope is most important in troubling times --this is important to remember and often hard to act upon. It's 1 am and I must be getting to bed, but I thought that I would make this an ongoing post. I'll leave you with a few thoughts tonight and then keep up the hopeful attitude on this blog for at least this week ("hopefully" much longer). So, here are a few things that give me hope:

• Thousands of people are offering small loans to poor people in need all over the world and not expecting anything in return-not even interest. These are called micro-loans and it allows ordinary people to pool money in an effort to give others a leg up. My favorite micro-loan organization is Kiva.
  
• A wonderfully delicious and perfectly ripe pear. This particular organic pear I ate yesterday and it was simply the best I have ever had. It filled the room with a sweet pear aroma for a few days before I ate it, too.
• Tohono Chul in Tucson had their annual plant sale today. There were so many people buying native plants for their gardens. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone cared for a small patch of land, turning it into a haven for wildlife, a respite for the mind, and an acknowledgment of regional beauty.
• Our campus has joined forces with the city of Tucson to hold a farmer's market every Friday on University Avenue. While there are only a few booths that sell produce, the turn out seems to be high, and I hope that more vendors will come. A man was selling tomatoes a few weeks ago and I have to say they were the best I have EVER had. I know, I said that about the pear too. It's been a good month!

Stay tuned for more...it's time for bed!