A Day for Defiant Hope
Hope is, as Emily Dickinson wrote, “a thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” I’ve always loved that image of hope as a bird, rising and soaring against the currents of despair. But let’s be honest—birds don’t just glide effortlessly through the sky. There’s a huge amount of flapping involved. Wings strain against gravity, air resistance buffets their path, and yet they rise.
Hope, too, is not passive. It isn’t a soft, gauzy feeling that descends upon us when things go well. Hope is a verb. It’s an active, deliberate set of choices and practices—a commitment to rise even when the weight of despair feels insurmountable.
Today is January 20, 2025, and let’s be real: this is a difficult day to maintain hope. The world is rife with challenges—some old, some horrifyingly new. It’s tempting to give in to despair, to let the enormity of injustice and suffering convince us that nothing we do matters.
But we must resist that temptation. We must find ways to maintain our commitment to a kinder, better world. As Rebecca Solnit reminds us,
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.”
Hope is work. It is action.
Small Acts, Big Impact
So how do we cultivate hope on a day like today? Why not start with small acts of kindness—the everyday gestures that remind us of our power to make a difference, no matter how modest it might seem.
Add a delicious treat to the food bank basket.
Smile at a stranger on the street.
Contribute to a charity that aligns with your values.
Pick up litter in your neighbourhood.
These acts may feel inconsequential in the face of global problems, but they are not. They are the feathers on the wings of hope. Each kind gesture builds momentum, creating ripples of change that can inspire others to act as well.
The Arc of History
History shows us that progress is possible, but it’s neither natural nor inevitable. The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it does so because people—ordinary people—spend hundreds of years and thousands of hours pulling it in the right direction. The rights and freedoms we cherish today exist because generations before us fought, protested, organized, and refused to give up.
Here’s the remarkable part: looking at the figures, the world genuinely is a better place today than it was in the past. Global poverty rates are lower than ever before. People across the world are living longer, healthier lives. And a far larger cohort of citizens now has the right to vote and participate in shaping their governments. These improvements didn’t happen by accident. They were fought for, inch by inch, by people who believed in a better future.
Now it is our turn. If we want to keep the hard-won gains of the past—and build upon them—it will be because we connect with one another and actively create the world we want to see. This requires both grand acts of protest and the quiet, steadfast practice of everyday kindness.
A Day for Kindness
Hope needs fuel, and in my experience its kindness. When we show up for one another, even in the smallest ways, we create connection. We remind ourselves and those around us that despair does not get the final word.
So today, let’s commit to acts of kindness—not only as a way to distract from the world’s problems, but as a way to confront them. Each kind act is a small declaration of hope, a step toward the kinder, better world we dream of.
And when despair looms large, remember the bird: rising, soaring, and flapping with all its might. Hope may not be effortless, but it is always worth the effort.
