Getting a Handle on “Hope”
Contributing Writer: Aaron Hedges, Inheritance of Hope Technology & Talent Director
As the name Inheritance of Hope indicates, hope is central to this organization – or better, this family, as we prefer to say. Our mission emphasizes hope: “to inspire hope in young families facing the loss of a parent.” Our Legacy Retreats® offer many ways to encounter hope:
But what does “hope” mean, really? A quick Google search for “hope” generates over 2 billion results. There’s no shortage of options for anyone looking for hope! What does it mean, though?
Let’s think of the word “hope” like the handle on a suitcase. The handle is not important by itself. You don’t travel packing only handles, right?! No, you carefully pack full suitcases. What really matters is the contents of the suitcase, but you do need a handle to attach you to those contents. The bigger the suitcase, the more important the handle for helping you grasp it.
“Hope” is a little word that gives us a handle on a very big – very big – reality. To help us grasp this big reality, I want to put words to it. To make the “hope handle” user-friendly, we have a simple acrostic: H-O-P-E. In this email series, we’ll briefly explore the contents attached to this handle.
As the name Inheritance of Hope indicates, hope is central to this organization – or better, this family, as we prefer to say. Our mission emphasizes hope: “to inspire hope in young families facing the loss of a parent.” Our Legacy Retreats® offer many ways to encounter hope:
- Giving families with terminally ill parents something to look forward to.
- The friendship and service of our volunteers.
- The wisdom of our counselors.
- Ideas and encouragement for intentional and lasting legacies.
- The sense of community that comes from being with people who share your struggles rather than run from them.
But what does “hope” mean, really? A quick Google search for “hope” generates over 2 billion results. There’s no shortage of options for anyone looking for hope! What does it mean, though?
Let’s think of the word “hope” like the handle on a suitcase. The handle is not important by itself. You don’t travel packing only handles, right?! No, you carefully pack full suitcases. What really matters is the contents of the suitcase, but you do need a handle to attach you to those contents. The bigger the suitcase, the more important the handle for helping you grasp it.
“Hope” is a little word that gives us a handle on a very big – very big – reality. To help us grasp this big reality, I want to put words to it. To make the “hope handle” user-friendly, we have a simple acrostic: H-O-P-E. In this email series, we’ll briefly explore the contents attached to this handle.