Slivers of Hope

One thing I know for sure right now is that it can be a challenge to remain hopeful in this world with all that is going on around us. 

Murders.
Bombs.
Concentration camps.
Rape.
Police brutality.
Modern day slavery.
Sex trafficking.
Drugs.
Abuse.
Neglect.

The list seems endless and if you focus on these things too much, it is.

This is precisely why I make it a point to look for slivers of hope daily. 

I seek them out. I search for them. And I stash them like a kid hiding candy because I know at some point I’m going to need to rely on them on those days when I log onto Twitter and I see certain familiar topics trending which almost tells me that tragedy has struck once again.

There is good all around us. It’s not hard to find. However, I refer to them as slivers because the negative of the world gets highlighted more than the positive. 

A while back, I went with a friend to see one of my all-time favorite artists in concert, Kirk Franklin. I sat beside a lady I’d never met, but by the end of the night I felt like she could’ve been someone I would’ve enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know. We sang together all night while sharing laughs, hugs and tears. My friend and I did the same.

Sliver of hope.

Earlier that same week, I viewed a dramatic video where a man was driving a truck and one of his tires blew out which caused his truck to overturn and come to a rest on a rooftop. Almost immediately, men, who had been driving in opposite directions on the highway descended on to the scene to aid the victim. With sheer determination and strength, the men were able to flip the truck on its side and pull the man out of the vehicle.

Sliver of hope.

Back in May, I was at the post office when I witnessed a woman who was backing out of a parking spot almost run over a man who was crossing the street using a walker. Thankfully, she stopped in time as he was falling. Others, including me, helped him to his feet as we steadied his walker for him. 

Sliver of hope.

The people who prompt you to cross the parking lot at Walmart.

Sliver of hope.

The people who let you get in line in front of them at the grocery stores when you only have a couple of items and they have a cart full.

Sliver of hope.

The random person who pays for your coffee in the drive thru.

Sliver of hope.

By the way, this has never happened to me.

Oh, and I don’t drink coffee. But still, this has never happened to me.

The person who has never seen you, but smiles at you when you pass by them.

Sliver of hope.

The food pantries that continue to serve the community because of the generous donations of many. 

Sliver of hope.

I could do this all day. I really could. And I bet by now you could as well.

Good is all around us. Fighting every day to be seen and acknowledged. Fighting every day to be in the spotlight. Fighting every day to be viewed as the norm and not an anomaly. 

And if you look very closely, it won’t have to fight too hard to be seen. It’ll be staring you in the face. Waiting to be embraced. Itching to provide you with the sliver you’ve been yearning to see.

Kassaundra Shanette Lockhart is a freelance writer who continuously works to be a sliver of hope daily.