Hopeless - ?

I have no idea what it means.

I mean, I know what the word means, but why is it on this billboard? Was I meant to see it? What am I supposed to do with it? How many other people are looking at it and wondering? I can only imagine that there is more to come - I hope so. Ha.

Well, it did this. Got me to write something. So clearly I am the opposite of hopeless.

Today I tried to get photos off my new phone for the first time. I tried a couple of different things, and ended up with a few folders of pictures I could have sworn I deleted. Finally, I triggered the automatic download thingy and suddenly there were 2500 photos being transferred to my computer.

Yes, it is a new phone. But that SD card has been with me for oh, about three years. And I saw my life passing before my eyes. Literally. I was seeing pictures of my husband, fireworks, mountains, pumpkins, lakes, the kids, snow, sci-fi geeks, horses, the garden... flashing by in a fascinating representation of my life and the things I focus on.

 Nothing is more interesting than your own life. I wanted to write it down but I couldn't stop watching this speedy film-strip of moments that made me smile. The garden growing from nothing to a jungle, my husband changing from a truck-driver to a rancher. Kids growing up, seasons changing, I knew it was fast, but this was even faster.

And there are so many varied things, all tossed together in the mix, all flickering by as part of a whole that is somehow made complete by the way it is never the same.

How many moments in there might have felt hopeless? I don't remember. I didn't take pictures of them.

But here's what I do remember: that feeling doesn't last. Things keep changing, and as long as they do, there is always a chance for hope.