Gives me Hope

I woke up one morning to hear the birds outside my window and my mother cooking breakfast downstairs. I've never cried so much in my entire life. I have been deaf since the age of 8.

Freshman year, there was a crippled girl bound to a wheelchair. For 4 years, she did physical therapy and progressed to crutches. When we graduated a few weeks ago, she handed her crutches to an officer and walked across the entire stage. The applause from the seniors was deafening. She cried the whole way.

Today, I found GMH. After reading all the heartwarming stories, I walked into my room, and tore my suicide journal to shreds. I'm shaking out of happiness.

The previous quotes are from posts on www.givesmehope.com . It's the optimistic equivalent of FML or MLIA. Instead of complaining, people share beautiful and heartwarming moments. If the book "Chicken Soup for the Soul" were to come in bite sized pieces, it would be here, on GMH. I read this site for nearly five hours yesterday, crying the entire time. People can be harsh, unforgiving, close minded, and cruel. Slowly, I'm finding my hope for the future again. People like this, determined, generous, kind people, are becoming my inspiration.

What little things in life can do! In my sadness, I've often failed to realize how much people care. Last year, after breaking up with my first boyfriend, I was heartbroken, absolutely shattered. I messaged one of my close friends online, and not only did she automatically figure out something was wrong, she arrived at rehearsal with open arms, a box of tissues, and a bar of chocolate. She held me while I cried all over her shirt. I remember this only yesterday, and it sent me into tears of happiness. Her love and care gives me hope.

Sometimes just a simple kind word is enough to save a life. I've joined Operation Beautiful, www.operationbeautiful.com. I leave notes around, whenever I can. They're simple, saying something along the lines of "Smile! You're beautiful!" or "You're perfect the way you are". I slip them in lockers, in backpacks, and especially on bathroom mirrors, anywhere someone could use a boost in self confidence.

Please, continue to hope. Become an inspiration. After all, to make one person smile counts as a a success. Be generous, be loving, take that one extra step out of your way to help someone else, and I guarantee, you will not be disappointed.