When Hope Has Vanished, Maybe This Will Help

Photo by author

“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” — Rabindranath Tagore

It can be easy to forget how much power there is in words and to throw them around without giving them much thought. Or perhaps, not as much as we should.

Occasionally, just one word can change everything. And when it happens, we’re reminded of just how powerful words can be.

I don’t mean in inspiring speeches or stories. I mean those simple, everyday moments when one single word can shift an entire conversation or mood. Think about what happens in the middle of a difficult conversation when someone says, “Sorry,” or “Enough.”

Sometimes one word might even the direction of your life, or how you feel about your situation.

I can think of a few times this has happened to me, but one in particular comes to mind. It was last autumn. I was about 9 months into this journey of healing after my nasty leg injury (coming up on 2 years soon and still healing). Having got CRPS (Type 2) as a result of this injury made everything so much worse. The nerve pain and other issues were wearing on me, especially as they made for very little sleep. All of this made it difficult to work, too.

It didn’t help to know that CRPS can be permanent. I know someone who has had it for 19 years, and it’s been 10 years for a friend’s sister. My future was looking bleak. 🫣

How was I going to get my life back? Or rather, was I going to get it back?

I’d always been one to focus on hope, but it was beginning to droop, along with anything resembling my usual optimism.

One day, I got a little package in the post. It was from my only remaining aunt and uncle who live thousands of miles away. I haven’t seen them in many years, but we stay in touch. I’d confided in them a bit about my physical challenges and that I was having trouble working and dealing with day-to-day functioning. I hadn’t shared my emotional state with them, but I guess they know me well enough to read between the lines.

The package contained a simple note saying they love me, and a little butterfly on a ribbon. Under it were the words, “Let your FAITH take flight.” Being in caps, the word “faith” stood out and at first, that was all I saw. (Above photo) Instantly, tears filled my eyes. Somehow, during all those years I’d been so focused on hope to get me through a lot of hard times, I’d forgotten all about faith.

It’s a completely different energy. To me, it feels more grounded, more certain, more solid than hope. I’d just never thought about it before. Hope feels a bit like it’s leaving room for “Maybe it won’t work out,” but faith feels like, “Yep, it’s definitely gonna happen.”

I needed to restore my faith in my body’s ability to heal. Faith that I’d be able to work. Faith that the universe was looking out for me — because even when things are hard, an answer always shows up eventually.

And mostly, I needed faith in myself. I’d already overcome so much during my decades on this planet. It was ridiculous that I could allow doubt to creep in. Even worse, its unwanted sidekick, Fear, had been hanging around and had begun pounding on the door, trying to get in.

But that one word, “faith,” reminded me of who I am, of what I’ve already overcome, and that even when hope is AWOL, faith would carry me through.

Amazing how one word can shift everything. Immediately, everything looked brighter and I knew I’d be okay. That shift into more positive energy got me moving again. I came back to Medium. I felt more inspired with my physical therapy and things I had to do to heal my leg. I hadn’t realised that I’d sunk into quite a depression until this little butterfly and its message lifted me out of it and a whole lot of other things changed (too much to share in this post!). 

You never know when one word might be exactly what someone needs to hear. Maybe it’s the word that changes that person’s day, or maybe it’s the word that changes a life. Think about the power of words like “Yes,” “Thank you,” or “I’m here.” Those words don’t just fill space; they can fill someone’s heart.

Because sometimes, one word is all it takes to make a world of difference.