There’s a line, in Shawshank Redemption, that you hear paraphrased commonly: “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.”
“Hope is a dangerous thing.”
In a way, hope can be a dangerous thing. People drive thousands of miles for hope. People have crossed oceans and mountain ranges for hope. A lot of those same people have died for that hope they carry, whatever it is.
The hope for a better future for their kids.
The hope for a healthier tomorrow for your spouse, who has cancer.
The hope for a clean future, for those struggling with addiction.
There’s something even more dangerous than hope; the lack of.
A man who has hope for tomorrow, to get themselves clean or be the person they truly want to be, will fight tooth and nail to gain even the smallest foothold. Even if their rock bottom is a single stone in a pit of despair, that single stone is everything. It is the foundation upon which they build themselves back up, no matter the length of time it takes them.
A man without hope will leap right off of that single stone into their own despair. A man without hope simply gives up; whatever life throws at him (or her) next, that is simply the way of things, to the hopeless. They have no foothold with which to find themselves again, and in a way, have no spark of living anymore, whether or not they breathe.
Hope is the tiny, tiny weed that forces up through the tiniest crack in the concrete. That plant knows nothing but darkness and obstacles, and yet, all it needs is the smallest of spaces, and it becomes determined to live.
Hope is the veteran who finally decides to put down the bottle and get help for the nightmares that have kept him isolated for so long after seeing other veterans supporting one another. The life of our veterans can be extremely difficult, yet the single stepping stone of the bond of brotherhood, that “no man left behind” mentality is often all it takes to help them begin to help themselves.
Indeed, hope can be a dangerous thing. To be in the midst of chaos in your life and trying to imagine a better future can be painful, especially when it seems as if that day will never come. To give in to those thoughts and give up entirely is far more dangerous. Give yourself permission to hope for tomorrow.
At The Springboard Center, we know that you and your family need a treatment provider you can trust. Incorporating the best of practices we have created a meaningful program to restore health and dignity with quality care and counseling. Call us today for information on how we are serving the Permian Basin: (432) 620-0255
