Milkweed Hope

by Nita Gilger
​

Your intricate flowers hold beauty.
You have survived the storms,
now offering sustenance and color.

Tiny flowers speak to me.
Perhaps you are a weed that nobody loves
except for me and the Monarchs.

The winds push you in all directions,
yet, you hold fast and continue to bloom,
as if you are waiting for lovely visitors.

I look upon you with an open heart,
just waiting for you to deposit your
pollens of hope and possibilities.

Be present with me as I am present with you.
Help me to wait patiently and believe passionately
that life will find a way in love and beauty.

Amen.

by Nita Gilger

​Hope in Unexpected Places

Hope is a positive and potent spiritual practice with the power to pull us through difficult times. It is usually described with light metaphors — a ray, a beam, a glimmer of hope; the break in the clouds; the light at the end of the dark tunnel. It is often discovered in unexpected places.

Hope can be learned with practice. Certain attitudes support it. One is patience, an ability to tolerate delays, a willingness to let events unfold in their own time. The other is courage, an attitude of confidence even when facing the unknown. A third is persistence, the determination to keep going no matter what happens. We have hope when we can say, all will be well, and we mean it."

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice