In the last century and earlier, a “hope chest” referred to a collection of linens and other household items collected by an unmarried woman who hoped to one day be wed. Clearly, it’s time to update that notion; so as we move into the future, it might be a fruitful practice to create a different kind of “hope chest” – or at least a basket or box of hope, which hopefully will include Have Hope. You might start your own collection of hope quotations, or make a hope scrapbook filled with words and images that bring you hope. Having a collection of hope-filled resources for the days ahead could serve not only you, but also anyone else with whom you might want to share your hope quotations.

Maggie Oman Shannon in Have Hope