“At first we hope too much; later on, not enough.” Joseph Roux
It occurred to me on reading this that I am wandering through the “later on” phase. Gone are the thoughts, the hope, that this time of “social distancing” and Zoom meetings, of virus, illness, and death would somehow magically pass quickly. “At first” hope was easy to muster, yet now it feels more vague, less certain, like I am intensely searching for hope as one looks for Waldo on a crowded page and as time passes doubt arises as to whether there IS a Waldo on this page. But of course that is the point of this quote, there is a Waldo, and there is hope.
It occurs to me that this “at first too much, later not enough” sequence is also the apostle’s story, and the Easter story — too much through the miracles and on the road to Jerusalem, not enough after the crucifixion, on the road to Emmaus, and then there’s poor Thomas!
Yesterday I picked a first rose off one of my rose bushes. Those first roses seem so perfectly formed, and so fragrant, I suppose in part because there is the knowledge that many more will follow.
“At first we hope too much; later on, not enough.” Keep hope alive.
It occurs to me... 