What does hope mean to you?

Many of us here on Health Central write about tough subjects. MS has taught us that life is not always easy, and it is certainly not predictable.

Often, when I write about a difficult subject, whether it is my own story or essay, or in response to a question, I end with “There is always hope.” I believe that is true, however, I have found many different viewpoints.

Here are two examples of quotations from a positive viewpoint and then two from a negative perspective:

Positive

“If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination,

which would you choose?”  ~Robert Brault

“Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune

without the words and never stops... at all.”  ~Emily Dickinson

Negative

“The miserable have no other medicine

But only hope.” ~ William Shakespeare

“There is nothing so well known as that we should not expect something for

nothing - but we all do and call it Hope.”  ~Edgar Howe

What do you think about hope? Does it help you get through each day? Or do you have no hope at all? Do you sometimes think it is time to give up hope? After living with MS half my life, I still think there is always hope.

“Once you choose hope, anything's possible.”  ~Christopher Reeve

So the question this week is: What does hope mean to you?