There is hope.

Hi there, reader.
(Or is it readerS by now? Hope so!)
This is an installment about hope.

Now what do hope and art/design have in common, you may ask? Good question!
There's the hope of the designer, obviously. He (I'll use he, but you can read she into all of this as well) hopes that his creation will inspire, or be of use, or be the answer to world famine (to give but one hopeful example).
And there's the hope of the designer's family. Will he bring in the bacon for this month?
You have the hope of the nation. Is our pride and joy going to win the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since that too-dumb-for-words ding-a-dong-song in ....whenever that was. Eons ago.

One of the most touching things is the hope that parents nurture. Hope that their kids will be alright. That they will stay healthy. That they will find love. That they will succeed in life, and will be able to fulfill their dreams.

Today was quite an eventful day for me. It started well, then took a nose-dive into near-despair, and then - like a see-saw - up it went again towards a dizzy height (success at last!), only to plunge me down into the next abyss. So, as is my habit, during my 1 1/2 hour tube and bus trip home, I did some reflecting. What is keeping me going? What is important? What do I live for?

My son has some sound advice. Right. I'll live for that 45 minutes of result I had this afternoon.

And with hope in my heart. That somehow, someway, someday ...

(I'll leave you to fill in the dots)

Obviously I've got other things to live for! I live for my family (corny!!!!Sorry!!!). And I live for music. (Yesterday my voice coach gave me a Pete Townsend song to learn. Wonderful! Such fun!)

And last Monday I had a free song workshop at work which was hilarious. We did an Edith Piaf song in phonetic French with Dutch rap thrown in. That was giving me hope as well.

As I said, hope springs eternal. Doesn't it? I'll only have to look into my daughter's eyes.

(Photographs by Wibe Koopman)