The Triumph of Hope

Maya Lei Poston

Last week I wrote about the funeral of an old friend. This week we are focused on the other end of life’s journey. We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our new grandbaby, Maya Lei Poston. This little angel was born at home on Thursday night. Taking nothing away from our three amazing grandsons, but someone in the family had a definite, if rarely articulated, preference for a girl. Mom, Dad, and older brother Eli are all doing great. Can’t wait to see all of them later this week.

Since the new grandbaby lives halfway across the country, I went to visit another new arrival on Friday. Miles Yester is a very mature three-week-old who is already showing signs of greatness, even if his older sister is ready to send him back to the hospital. The Yester children are sorta pseudo grandkids. Since their parents met at Kalypso, I believe I have some claim on their very existence.

Then on Saturday, I had the great honor and pleasure of attending the first birthday party of my playmate, Harlee Kate. Her mother claims that she took her first steps last week, coming in just under the wire to hit an ever-important development milestone, but there is no video evidence and my attempts to validate the claim were unsuccessful. She did eat a lot of icing off the cake and hammed it up for the cameras.

Being surrounded by babies and news of a new baby has me thinking about hope. I can’t imagine the incredible advancements that these children are going to witness. Think about the technical revolution of the last fifty years and roll that progress forward. I believe that these kids will create solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. When I look into those eyes, I see the possibility and promise of a brighter future. They are poised to solve today’s challenges in unimaginable ways.

Of course, it's our responsibility to nurture them, point them in the right direction, and help them foster critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. We need to equip these young people with the skills, attitudes, and optimism that they will need to navigate and transform the complex world they inherit. I am full of hope. On another note, seeing my 54-year-old younger brother get married for the first time on Friday night was yet another indication of the triumph of hope. Congratulations to him and his bride!