"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die life is a broken-winged bird,
that cannot fly.” —Langston Hughes
Hope is a four-letter word; hijacked by politicians to bring false promises. It has a negative connotation for living outside of reality. Hoping for something brings negativity from those who have lost their hope in life. However, without hope there is no ambition to try. If we fail to dream, we have nothing to look forward to. Where there is hope, there is a will. Where there is will there is a way. Life will get hard and sometimes the hopes and dreams may seem impossible.
A well portrayed example can be seen in the movie The Patriot. When the militia came upon their loved ones in a burned church, Gabriel Martin insisted to find those responsible and seek revenge. Gabriel Martin was killed by the antagonist— found by his father, Benjamin Martin. All hope appeared to be lost. Not only did the militia lose their families and homes, they lost a great leader and Benjamin could no longer see the light outside the dark tunnel; causing the militia to lose yet another officer and seasoned combat veteran. The militia continued their trek to fight the war, heart broken and torn. The war was more than bothersome, the end was looking glum. Regardless if the war was won, the men would still return home with nothing. The hope and dreams of a free country were fading.
It wasn’t until Benjamin began searching through his son’s saddlebags and found that symbol of hope did he realize the importance of the heartache he was going through. As Benjamin sped through the field carrying Old Glory, the crowd of heartbroken, war torn men had a renewal of hope. They understood with that symbol, things were going to be different. It may not have been how they planned, but, the dream was still alive. The dream would stay alive as long as they kept believing and working through the hardships.
Though the movie is completely fictitious, based on a historical situation it is a great example of how we must never lose hope. It is a great example of determination, hope and hard work leading to the dream. There will always be negative people and events that try to diminish your hope. The fact is, some people just don’t believe in anything anymore. That does not mean it doesn't exist. When your dreams seem to fade, find your symbol of hope. To some their hope maybe within another person, to others it could be a picture of the end result.
Whatever your dream is, do not lose sight of it. Keep your hope close and work through the hardships. If it were easy, it would be less valuable when it is finally achieved and short-lived. That is why we must never give up, we must do anything and everything possible to ensure we reach that happiness we strive for. When the day comes that we sit on our death beds will you be able to say, “I gave it my all.”
-AG
