We are in a time when we are so hungry for hope….
– Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

In her conversation with teacher researcher and author Shelley Brandon, Margie Carter shares the following:

“Living in such an extended period of uncertainty, loss, and heartbreak in the world, this phrase ‘hunger for hope’ is so poignant. If you are one who has longed for a fulfilling career working with young children, how are you navigating the terrain of hope?

“Because our ECE work is fundamentally based on deep love, I think the wisdom of Robin Wall Kimmerer, can provide guidance. She is a remarkable author and speaker, a mother, scientist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Robin reminds us that it is hard to separate hope from love. If we are a bit numb, just going through the routines and daily requirements of our days, we will likely be losing sight of hope. Hope is different than having a positive attitude. It requires a self-awareness and a determination to pursue the fullness of our longings. When we tend to our longings, we stoke a fire in our belly that brightens a flame of hope. We become both fierce and tender, acting on behalf of what we love, who we want to be and how we want to live.”

We want to make hope come alive and share and tap into the individual and collective hope of this community. What are the small or large steps we can take, to keep hope alive? We invite your thoughts.