The National Day Calendar has the month of April being National Month of Hope. Hope comes in many forms, personally and reaching outwardly to those needing verbal encouragement, instruction, gifts, or just spending time together.

The observance has been observed since 2018 and was started by the Florida organization, Mothers In Crisis, Inc. which “supports women and families who are in need bringing them hope and empowering them to find a new path.”

In these uncertain times, most everyone knows someone – family member, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. – who could use help in their lives. And maybe we have helped give hope to others in the past.

I remember reading this quote about hope from President Barack Obama: “Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it.”

We can all give hope to those who think all is lost. Giving hope doesn’t take a lot of effort. Perhaps just a spark, a conversation, to help someone reach up from the bottom, to help on their way back to the top.

If you see a reason to give someone hope, don’t ignore it. You might also seek out opportunities to do so. Spread the word that someone needs help and if you can’t help, perhaps someone else can.

A good friend of mine has made it his mission to be a Good Samaritan in the second half of his life. He has provided me with many examples of his good deeds – buying water for homeless people, helping stranded motorists change a flat tire, buying lottery tickets for people who might get lucky and win that extra cash that they might need, etc. He is an inspiration.

So in this Month of Hope, go help. And maybe you can make it a habit throughout the year.