Hope is only a four letter word, and yet, it is the difference between despair and determination. Hope is the small voice that whispers to the defeated, “Once more. Try again.” It is not loud; it is not screaming into your ear, it is only there for those that take the time to see it, or those who need it. The high and mighty do not need it, and those that have fallen will undoubtedly find it. Hope is a whisper in the wind, a gentle coaxing for something better, if only your try.

Hope is not a roaring flame, demanding your obedience and respect, for you to follow it without question. It is not a weapon, and cannot be wielded to strike down your enemies and fears, nor is it a shield that you can hide behind to protect yourself from harm. Sounds kind of useless doesn’t it? And yet, Hope is so important. Hope is none of these things, as it is both better, and weaker than them. Hope is a light, soft and faint, flickering in the darkness. When courage and strength falter, and bravery and faith shatter, and fear and despair rule, that is when hope rises.

When you have nothing left, at the bottom of the barrel, hope is there. However, just as courage falls to despair, and strength to fear, hope will as well. Hope is weak and fragile. Hope can stand up to the mightiest fear, the darkest despair and the most chilling defeat, but it cannot last. It is but a spark, standing alone. Hope is not an all-powerful force that is capable of overthrowing fear. Hope serves to ignite courage and strength again, to strengthen faith when it is lost, and encourage bravery to stand again. Left alone, Hope will flicker and fade, just like everything else.

Hope is powerful. Hope can be fierce, but remember that it is weak. Hope can cause the weakest of men to stand against the most powerful of enemies. Hope is what flutters on the battlefield when everything is falling apart. It is what fills the starved, and what empowers the hopeless. But hope is not infinite. Hope will not last forever; Hope is the maker of men, and the weapon of champions. Hope does not last for those that do not grasp it, and with it, strive to change the world.

What is Hope? Hope is a four letter word, which tugs at the heartstrings, coaxing more from us, that no matter what, we can. Hope is there when no one else is, when courage flees, when strength collapses and faith is lost. All it requires is a little more from us. It asks, no pleads, “Try again. Try again. Get up!” And you will find that Hope can make the weak strong. Hope will ignite those qualities that have fled, and they will come flooding back, embarrassed to have left, and you will find that when you follow hope, your strength surpasses what you had, your courage goes further, and faith will hold firm when it should break.

But keep in mind. Hope is but a flickering flame, hunted by despair and defeat. Hope cannot hold on when it is left alone. It requires the smallest of efforts to stay alive. It requires you to try again. If you neglect it and you cast aside your Hope. Then know you’ll never find a reason to rise again, you will never find what you have lost, because Hope is the driving force when you have fallen. It is easy to lose, and near impossible to gain once it is lost. So never lose it. Never lose hope, and you will find, no matter how many times you fall, or how battered and bruised you get in Life. Hope will stand you back up, dust you off, and send you on your way.