Humanity is Worth Hoping For

Today's post is dedicated to the memory of my father, Oswald C. Darwood, who had 90 years of seeing the humanity in the people he encountered.

Quick Story

Every sibling of my father who immigrated from Jamaica lived in our home. I grew up living with uncles and aunts and sometimes my cousins. Then later in his life, he asked my husband and I to house one of his brothers who was in need at that time. You see, to him people deserved love and assistance when they needed it. I didn't know him as a very expressive man. But he was a foundation in our large family. I watched him pack items into barrels to ship back to Jamaica. I also saw that every summer for many years he helped construct a tent large enough to hold at least 100 people, with the goal of helping to spread the word of God in the community. He regular drove across the boroughs to the Bronx and Queens to spend time with his siblings and have us get to know our cousins. He took my brother and I out of our mother's hair on occasion, to the movies and Brooklyn's Coney Island. From what I can gather as a daughter watching her father, he believed in people and their value just because they are human beings. I believe that's a hopeful, or optimistic spirit. He wasn't lovey-dovey, but I think he gave me that spirit too.

What we know so far...

Being hopeful and positive helps people feel better, live happier lives, and handle tough times more easily. This is true for everyone, including people who have mental health challenges. People who are hopeful and optimistic are better at dealing with problems, are less likely to develop mental health issues, and tend to make healthier choices that lead to a more satisfying life. Because of all these good effects, it’s important to learn how hope and optimism grow. This can help create ways to support mental health. More research is needed to make sure hope-based programs really work. The best way to do this would be to run strong studies that compare hope programs to treatments we already know are effective.

Hope and Optimism as an Opportunity to Improve the “Positive Mental Health” Demand - PMC (nih.gov)

Looking for therapy?

An Activity that I've used...

Journal your answers to these questions: Am I hopeful for the future of humanity? What actions of mine are helpful to humanity? Where can I be of service to another human being?

Cortex and Calves

Buy Now

A Poem

Human, See Each Other

By DF Darwood

Listen for the voice of humanity in others

And you will hear your own

See the humanity in the actions of people

And you will see your own

Sense the humanity when you are together

And you will sense your own

Give humanity a chance

Again and again

And you will give chances to yourself

Forgive the humanity when it falters

And you will forgive yourself

Love the humanity in its different stages

And you will always love yourself

See humanity’s growth

And you will see your own

And it is at this point, that you hope for humanity

My Book Store