Hope is the thing with feathers/that perches in the soul

I am so proud of my Houston daughter-in-law Lisa, who has just returned from a mission trip to a remote mountain village in Haiti. That's her above, loving on a baby. The trip began with what she called a hiccup--I so would have called a 24-hour delay in Miami a huge burp. But the team finally reached the village of Marmelade (really, that's the name) and began their work--saw 540 patients, from infants to elderly, in three days and left so many more in need of medical help.

Lisa, a teacher, also was part of the education aspect of the trip, meeting with teachers, talking with them about styles of learning, teaching techniques, offering them ideas for activities, some of which involved a deck of cards. Each teacher who attended left with a backpack full of supplies, including a deck of cards. This is market day in Marmelade.

Lisa reports the people were warm, welcoming and friendly, but taking cup baths in water from a pump and doing without a/c was a bit much. The food, however, was delicious--prepared for them by one woman. Need to get details on that! They were, she said, sad to leave Marmelade--and apprently will go back--but grateful to get to a resort with a/c and a swim in the ocean.
In my church Sunday, the minister preached on despair, desperation, and hope. It occurred to me that, beyond medicine and educational tools, the huge gift Lisa and her team brought to these people was hope. As I said I'm proud of her.
That sermon stuck in my mind. The minister stressed that we must all reach out to give hope to those who need it, and I thought about the people I know. One or two people came to mind that I might reach out to but in the most part I am surrounded by people who are always hopeful, always looking to a bright future. Whether that's a subconscious choice or not, I don't know, but I do realize we cannot surround ourselves with people who drag us down. There's a fine line there, and I'm not sure where to draw it.

I think Lisa knows about that fine line. She gave the people of Marmelade hope; they in turn, rather than dragging her down, enriched her life. And that makes me proud of her.