Hope

I’ve lived through many seasons, some filled with joy, others with sacrifice. I’ve left one home to build another. I’ve watched my children grow in a country that gave us opportunity, even as I carried the ache of what I left behind.

And through it all, I’ve learned this: The belief in a better tomorrow is what separates hope from despair.

Hope isn’t just a feeling. It’s a decision we make when the world feels heavy. It’s what kept me going when I didn’t know how to navigate American systems, when homesickness crept in, when I wondered if I’d ever feel truly at home again. It’s what I pass on to my children, not just the dream, but the discipline to keep believing.

Despair whispers that nothing will change. Hope answers, “Not yet, but it will.”

So I choose hope. For my family. For my community. For anyone who’s ever felt caught between two worlds, wondering if they belong. Because tomorrow can be better, but only if we believe it’s worth building.