No pessimist, 2016
Just an opening reminder that the words below were written seven years ago today:
Hello friends, I miss you, and I miss my time here. I hope your week has been better than mine. Even though I tried to prepare myself for this grief for nearly four years, it’s the sort of thing for which one cannot prepare. Matt and I are both in the midst of a difficult phase; the adrenaline is gone, and the reality of daily life without Jeff is cold and hard to bear. Somehow I didn’t realize it would get worse before it gets better. But I’m determined to cheer myself up (and hopefully some of you, as well) so I’m re-blogging one of my favorite photos ever, of a view that holds a very special place in my heart. That sight never failed to inspire me with hope and joy.
If you are feeling discouraged, or lonely, or sad for any reason, perhaps Keller’s words and the courage of her life will lift your spirits. I’m praying we all have a wonderful weekend– or at least a quiet, comforting one. Thanks for being here, and for helping me to keep looking up. I hope you all realize what a blessing you are to me.
Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands, 2003
“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” — Helen Keller
Few sights are more breathtaking to me than the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding lands and sea. Such a vivid reminder of the creativity of people, and especially of the God in whose image they are made, never failed to lift my spirits no matter how many times I stood on the shore and looked out on this scene. I am deeply grateful for the daring, hard work and optimism that made such wonders a reality for us to enjoy. What wonders, large or small, are you thankful for today?
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
Defeat Despair 
Sending heartfelt hugs Julia…as always…
Thank you, misifusa! It is always such a joy to hear from you. I just couldn’t resist taking a few moments to visit your blog again, for the first time in a long while. Congratulations on your 22 year anniversary of survival! You stand as a testimony to the power of hope. Thank you for being with me on this journey. Your spirit lifts my heart. Shine on!
Julia – you are such an inspiring person and I am so grateful that we met through blogging. Keeping shining your heartlight because we’re all here smiling…big hugs as always xo
❤ ❤ ❤
Good morning, Julia!
I had never considered the optimism versus pessimism of explorers. I’m not sure I’d like to follow an extremely optimistic person into the unknown! Hopefully they are realists, with a balance of optimism tempered with research and planning. In sure Keller is right about pessimists, though.
We can’t confuse pessimists with depressed people, however. So many great contributions have been made by people suffering from depression. I suppose one could be a depressed optimist or even a manic pessimist (and that sounds formidable)!
I wish you a season that is both merry and bright!
Susan, good point about pessimism not being the same as depression. In fact, I think optimists might be more likely to suffer from depression when reality contradicts their vision so soundly, so often. Yet I still think hope is the way to go. Abraham Lincoln, perhaps one of the most famous people in history who struggled with depression, was surely rooted in the hope that eventually carried this country through its darkest hour. In the same spirit that “Captain Eddie” declared that there can be no courage if one is not afraid, perhaps there can be no optimism if one does not see clearly the (depressing) truth. But “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)