Crazy in Hope

Beyonce may be crazy in love, but I have come to the realization that I am crazy in hope. And maybe you should be, too.

I like the phrase "crazy in hope" because I think a large portion of society thinks all of us hopeful optimistic people are...well...a little bit crazy, naive or unrealistic.

But what's worse? To be "crazy in hope" or "grounded in pessimism"? (Give me crazy any day!)

To be truly hopeful, you have to move beyond being crazy--to being courageous. It takes courage to hope because there is always some risk that you will be hurt, disappointed or heartbroken if what you're hoping for doesn't actually happen. The courage comes when, despite that hurt, disappointment or heartbreak, you make the choice to hope continually.

So, despite obstacles, I will try to be continually hopeful. I will hope for silly little things like a good parking spot at the movies or sunshine in Seattle (yes, it does happen in October!). And I will hope for the big things--for the friend who has lost her sense of purpose (at the moment anyway), the seriously ill person in need of a miracle, the right guy. And it may be irrational or against the odds--but you can call me crazy if you want to.