Leave them with hope

A friend recently came back from touring in Europe, where she met an English professor who focused on climate change. When she asked him the one best thing we could do for our children, his answer was a surprise. Rather than list a list of “do this” or “don’t do that” the professor said, “Leave them with hope.”

When she relayed this story to me, I was first surprised and then delighted, for hope is something I can do – it’s my forte and within my skill set. I may not be able to transform my garden into an environment that absorbs huge amounts of carbon, but I sure can leave my children and grandchildren with a sense of hope. And with good reason!

There are positive signs that the world is finally getting serious about climate change. The U.S. legislation passed earlier this year is a clear indication that Americans are moving forward in mitigating the effects of climate change at a national level, though admittedly, we have a long way to go.

But mainly I’m optimistic because I believe that the smartest minds in the world are working on this issue and I believe in the creative genius of our species. I think that we can come up with solutions and put these ideas to work before it’s too late.

I’m also optimistic because I believe in the goodness of people and in human nature. Viktor Frankl, who spent years in four different concentration camps during World War II was well aware of the power of hope. His book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” grapples with the question of why some people survived and others did not. His answers had everything to do with our attitude and our sense of hope.

He wrote “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.” This is as true today, when we sometimes feel dark and hopeless about our environment, as it was during the dark days of World War II.

But hope isn’t passive. Hope involves action. Frankl said “Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct.”

Hope is a choice. We can continue to wallow in the dire predictions of the day or we can choose to be hopeful – and to marry that attitude with right action and right conduct.

During this week of thanks, I’m grateful for all those who are working tirelessly to help solve our environmental problems. But even more, I’m grateful for all of you who choose hope.