Lately I've been providing support to people losing hope.

Others often give platitudes, try to rekindle that hope, because many people think hope is a must.

I've said a few times recently... in the story of Pandora's Box there's a reason hope is among the evils... It's not always good to have hope, while it can help you survive many impossibilities, it can also blind you to threats.

Worse yet, so very very many base their foundation on hope, and losing it can be a trauma in itself.

What I want people to know is that it's entirely possible to live your life and find joy without hope.

It's possible to find a reason to put one foot in front of your other even if you've lost hope for the future... in large part because we still have the now.

Me personally, my foundation is a mix of faith, duty, and love. What matters to me is the day to day choices I make, the impact I have on the people I love. I may disappear into history, quickly forgotten... but my impact on the lives in my life will ripple out long after, regardless of whether it appears in history books.

I find joy snuggling with my cat, thinking of ways to make her later years more comfortable and enjoyable, and knowing that her life has improved immeasurably from what it was before. I have siblings I've adopted, and I find joy spending time with them, encouraging them to be their best selves, and holding them when they hurt.

I know every day may be my last, and I have no doubts things are going to get much worse before they get better.

But I know that nothing can strip away the love I have and nothing can take away the choices I have already made. So I will keep loving and keep making those choices day after day, not because I have hope of the world turning around... but because that's one more day I get to love and choose, and one more day the people I love get support.