My (Figurative) Tree of Hope

     Last Friday I substituted for a high school class and found out it's Youth Art Month ... Or National Art in Schools Month ... Or something relating to Artsy-ness in Schools Month, and the school decided to commemorate this wonderful month by making a "Tree of Hope."

     It will be a giant tree in the school library and every kid in the school will be decorating a tag to hang on the tree to represent a leaf. On each tag, they will write a sentence that begins with one of twenty-five "hopeful" statements. When I read the statements that some of the kids in the special education class I was subbing for wrote, I smiled a little, I laughed a little, and overall, I was inspired to complete the twenty-five hopeful statements of my own. 

     First I will share a few of the kids hopes that I can remember:

     * "I hope to learn ... English better." (<3)
     * "I hope to become ... a hair designer or singer." (I've subbed for her before. She's a little future Hannah Montana.)
     * "I hope to help ... others." (<3)
     * "I hope to work for ... money." (That made me laugh!)
     * "I hope to explore ... my life after high school and go wherever it takes me." (That made me smile!)

     Now I will share my twenty-five hopes with you ... If you care to read them.

My Twenty-Five Hopes

* I hope to accomplish ... my hopes and dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

* I hope to achieve ... at least a 3.30 GPA in graduate school.

* I hope to reach for ... the stars.

* I hope to follow ... my dreams.

* I hope to trust ... in God's plan.

* I hope to work for ... my master's degree!

* I hope to learn ... at least one new thing everyday. 

* I hope to prove ... them wrong.

* I hope to listen ... with an open mind.

* I hope to become ... someone to be proud of.

* I hope to convey ... my best self to the world.

* I hope to imagine ... everything John Lennon did ... especially all the people living life in peace.

* I hope to realize ... the grass is not always greener on the other side.

* I hope to remember ... after they're gone.

* I hope to explore ... the unexplored.

* I hope to find ... the one.

* I hope to understand ... the one may have to find me.

* I hope to choose ... quality over quantity, in so many different aspects of my life.

* I hope to build ... bridges between people.

* I hope to believe ... that the world will one day be able to live in peace and harmony.

* I hope to discover ... a cure - even if I don't have any medical knowledge.

* I hope to protect ... the ones closest to me.

* I hope to help ... those too afraid, or those incapable, of asking for it. 

* I hope to create ... things of beauty in the world.

* I hope to be a part of ... something big.


     What are your hopes?