Thanks Siobhan. Hope is also an act of resistance. A belief that what we are witnessing is not the last5 word. Hope is the belief that a new word is to be spoken, a new dawn is to break. Maybe despair is more an eclipse experience like a lunar or solar eclipse. It is dark when at its height, but the importance is for others to voice and cry out that that the despair will also pass like the lunar eclipse. I wonder if any of us, when despairing, can feel or judge it as a privilege. Maybe, the challenge is for those around the person despairing is to hold our hand out and say I am here. None of us knows the depth or darkness of another's despair or what will result in us giving up hope. Survival instincts may kick in, but sometimes it doesn't, but despair is real and may have catastrophic outcomes. I don't think despair is really a choice for some people nor do I think it is a privilege as something that some people have a choice about. Hope is the only antidote and not always a choice. Therefore the more we can be witnesses or beacons of hope and hold the hand out or be a presence to others - the more we offer an antidote to despair, to remind others that this too will pass. We're living in dark times, let's hold firm and offer hope to each other and all those that might be despairing whether it is in Ireland or Palestine.
This is a beautiful summary Kieran - thank you! Sorry I don't know how I missed it but I'm glad I have finally read it now. Beautifully said, as always.
Siobhan, I don't know how you write so eloquently so regularly. I think the universe allows us to see and read things when we are ready to take it in. I tend to be very irregular on Substack - once a month or so.
Thanks Siobhan. Hope is also an act of resistance. A belief that what we are witnessing is not the last5 word. Hope is the belief that a new word is to be spoken, a new dawn is to break. Maybe despair is more an eclipse experience like a lunar or solar eclipse. It is dark when at its height, but the importance is for others to voice and cry out that that the despair will also pass like the lunar eclipse. I wonder if any of us, when despairing, can feel or judge it as a privilege. Maybe, the challenge is for those around the person despairing is to hold our hand out and say I am here. None of us knows the depth or darkness of another's despair or what will result in us giving up hope. Survival instincts may kick in, but sometimes it doesn't, but despair is real and may have catastrophic outcomes. I don't think despair is really a choice for some people nor do I think it is a privilege as something that some people have a choice about. Hope is the only antidote and not always a choice. Therefore the more we can be witnesses or beacons of hope and hold the hand out or be a presence to others - the more we offer an antidote to despair, to remind others that this too will pass. We're living in dark times, let's hold firm and offer hope to each other and all those that might be despairing whether it is in Ireland or Palestine.
This is a beautiful summary Kieran - thank you! Sorry I don't know how I missed it but I'm glad I have finally read it now. Beautifully said, as always.
Siobhan, I don't know how you write so eloquently so regularly. I think the universe allows us to see and read things when we are ready to take it in. I tend to be very irregular on Substack - once a month or so.
Thanks for sharing your reflections and musings