Hope is such a strong word I don’t think most people realize it. When people face their toughest times or in greatest need. They rely on Hope. Its such an odd thing to explain or to feel. Its just a state of mind. Clinging to whatever little semblance of good or possible better outcome for whatever reason. Might not be Websters dictionary definition. Its not just a want or need, its so much bigger than that.
When I think of my compassion for animals and what can possibly be done to make things better. I focus on hope. And what do I hope and what does it mean to me? I feel in the future that we will be a more compassionate world. We will be smarter about our world, environmental and everything in it. To just grasp the concept, that we no longer need to kill and eat life to survive. That we can find a way where everybody can have access to clean healthy plant based eating. People will feel better, live healthier and stop the senseless killing. Where no animal will suffer. It all starts with just people talking about it.
At one point, a slave as normal to have. At one point, women were unable to vote or have a voice. At one point, interracial marriage was illegal. And this may not deal with just humans, but we are at another “point” where we have an understanding that the status quo is not right. Where we can sit and think and discuss and battle through the social norms. We can break the barrier to realize that we have a choice to kill or not kill. It is simple a want and not for survival.
And where does my vision and realization of hope come from. My parents. Against all odds, against the most dire situation any person can face in life. Where the Khmer Rouge were trying to eradicate my family. My mother lost 8 out of 9 siblings, both her parents, and countless dozens of other family and friends. My parents nearly died so many times. Facing death was an understatement, they lived with death on earth. Yet with Hope, they were able to make it through. With Hope they could fight a little more to live and to make it to the next day. The hope they will get out and once in for all the genocide would end. Thats where I learned my hope from and thats how I value life. My parents were able to make it out of Cambodia to the US luckily. I’ve probably written about this many times in previous posts but its a story that can’t be repeated enough.
And now with my son, I have a new hope. A hope that is generation will come to this new level of understanding and morality. Where I can pass on a better world to him and he can help be the start of a new beginning.
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