I really like the word hope. Probably enough to get it tattooed on my body just to remind me how much I like it.. just kidding. Mom calm down I won’t do that. Maybe a skull and bones on my forehead though. Or barbwire around my biceps.

Listen to me, getting sidetracked already. Anyhow. The definition of the word hope, used as a verb is: “to want something to happen or be the case”. Used as a noun, hope means: “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen”. Overall, the word basically means (in blonde terms), what you’re wishing for. What you want when you look at the clock and see that it’s 11:11, or blow out your birthday candles. Another thing about hope, it can build you up. Or destroy you. Sorry to break it to you, kids. Allow me to explain.

Hope is great and all, but I feel like it has an ugly stepsister. A dark side.

It’s the feeling you got when you were a child, and walked past the candy isle. You might have been young, but you knew perfectly well about the magically treasures that await in that aisle. The pure, savory chocolate bars, the kind that melt on your tongue. The rainbow colored Laffy Taffy, which somehow always ends up sticking to your teeth. And the sugar coated gumdrops. Actually, that’s a good word to describe hope. Sugar coated. You see, what they don’t tell you about that aisle (okay maybe they do tell us.. we just don’t listen), is that it can hurt. You eat 43 banana flavored taffy and it’s going to hurt, man. But it only hurts if you let it. Hope is awesome, don’t get me wrong. But after awhile, hope can break you mentally. Some things just aren’t meant to be in this world, even if you wish on every star in the sky. And realizing that hurts like a son of a biscuit. If you desire something so badly, whether that be a person, place, or thing, and it just isn’t meant to be in your life, then you just got to accept it. At least try. It’s easier said than done, I know. And a little part of you will probably never let it go, and maybe that’s okay.

Enough with being a Debbie Downer, I apologize for the bad vibes from that last paragraph. But they needed to be said. Let’s bring the happiness back to this post! HOPE CAN BE WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH THE DAY, PEOPLE. It is that powerful. I’m not sure if you’re a morning person or not, for me it just depends on what kind of mood I wake up in. If you wake up and think, “Wow!!! the sun is shining, I am going to wear my cute new jeans, and I hope today is going to be fantastic!!!” then good for you, bud! You’re on the right track, and you’re going to look hot in those new jeans. Or if you’re like me most mornings, and wake up confused, dazed, with one sock on, then you probably don’t have any other thoughts besides “It’s too early. and I’m cold”. I need to put a little more hope into my daily routine. Hope can be an ambition, an anticipation, a goal. It’s a mindset, really. Maybe if I wish hard enough, I won’t have any biology homework and Mom will make waffles for dinner.

Let’s wrap this up. Hope is so strong, you guys. It can really do a lot to someone. Both good and bad. Let’s hope (see what I did there) for good. Keep wishing on the shooting stars.

But what do I know? I’m just a 16 year old with a computer.

-xoxo, Maddie