Following Our Hope as a Path Back to Inner Peace

I’m going to begin with a short little poem by Rosemerry Whatola Trommer:

Hope has holes
in its pockets.
It leaves little
crumb trails
so that we,
when anxious,
can follow it.
Hope’s secret:
it doesn’t know
the destination–
it knows only
that all roads
begin with one
foot in front
of the other.

If you deeply listen to yourself, what are the crumb trails that hope is leaving for you?

When I thought about this for me, I thought about the times I notice anxiety bubbling up. Like, when I worry about something someone I love is going through and worry about how they’re doing. Or, when I worry about the possibility of losing someone I care about. Or, when I worry about the earth and how things are going.

What would be the crumbs hope would leave for me?

What trails could I look for to move from my place of anxiety back to a space of hope?

I think this is such an individual journey and answer. So, I’ll share with you some of my crumbs and invite you to notice that yours may be similar or very different – and that’s the beauty of all of us in the ways we connect and the ways we complement and contrast one another.

For me, the crumbs are:

Laughter. Anybody’s genuine laughter can be a crumb for me – I find my children’s laughter is a particularly amazing kind of medicine.

Birds. There is something about going outside or through the window listening to birdsong and how that brings me back to my joy and my hope.

Music. Music moves me so deeply and can shift my mood and bring me back to calm and hope. Either playing or listening to music does this for me.

Aromas. The fragrance of flowers, pine trees, or essential oils can be crumbs that lead me back to my calm and hope.

Water. Watching water either in bodies of water like lakes, ocean, or streams or even water from my shower head can soothe me like crumbs leading me back to calm and hopefulness.

Connection. Connection with people I care about. Connection through the smile of a stranger. Connection through gentle touch and affection can be crumbs leading me back to hope.

Breathing. Coming back to my inhale and exhale and remembering that my inhale is my gift from the plants and trees and my exhale is my gift back to them. The belonging that breath offers me directly with the world around me reminds me that I’m not alone and brings me back to hope.

So, I ask you again…

If your hope has holes in its pockets and is dropping a crumb trail as it goes to lead you back whenever you need it, where are your crumbs?

What is it like to connect with those crumbs right now?

I notice, as I list my crumbs at this moment, I feel peace. Gratitude. My heart feels full.