hope has...

Anger is a healthy thing. It has been a challenge to be able to feel and process anger, for at times I feel guilty in doing so. I remind myself it is not the feeling itself that is unhealthy, but rather how it is processed can be, especially if we hurt the one who loves us most.

Sitting on the side of the fence where hurt and pain landed, my compassion subdued anger that should have surfaced. No more! I have become angry, felt it, and as Augustine said

…hope has: two children, anger and courage.

Anger at the way things are and the courage to make it better. Perfectly said.

It takes compassion, understanding and love to overcome the potential unhealthy aspects of anger and embark on the journey towards hope. I heard this definition of hope—anger and courage-- the other night during a Colbert Report segment, and it is so true. Anger is just an ingredient of a greater whole—hope. To transcend it we need courage.

Courage to stand up. Courage to let go. Feel the anger, let it hurt, embrace courage and turn it into hope. Once there is hope, we soldier on.

On the flip—what if we harbour anger at our parents throughout adulthood? What if we do not explore this through our self honesty as adults and address it through courage?

Solved—we hurt those who love us in relationships, then run. The courage necessary to overcome the anger buried deep is either not there, or we are not willing to take the courage. Instead, we act out of our buried anger towards our parents by taking it out on the one who loves us so in our relationships, by neglecting the relationship, them and running away eventually.

And that is why I did not chase—I saw that. I saw the anger inside, the unresolved anger towards parents that could have potentially been taken out upon me. Why fight for that? Courage is something that we choose on our own and no one can lead us there.

It starts with self honesty, self acceptance, letting go of the need to seek approval—the courage to do these very things. From this springs hope, then the ability to love and be loved freely, without inhibition, so that we can engage in the “greatest adventure of all”.

I can only hope that courage is chosen by us all.

question: when is your courageous moment?