Stories of Hope and The Lessons We Learn From Them

Hey, hi, and hello. Welcome back to my blog where not all those who wander are lost (J.R.R Tolkien). In this post I’m going to be reflecting on our most recent PLP project. The goal for this project was to create a video answering our driving question through exploring examples of stories of hope. Through this project we needed to answer the driving question: What lessons and inspiration can we draw from the stories of individuals and communities that have faced tragedy and overcome adversity? As I do with most blog post I will go into explaining our journey through this project and then answer the driving question. So without further ado, lets get started on this reflection.

For the first week and a half of this quick project we explored different stories of hope. We looked at many different stories from Bethany Hamilton, cancer survivors, 911 survivors, and many more. After learning about a few historical stories of hope we were tasked to write a blog post answering the driving question: What is a story of Hope? My answer to this question was “I think that a story of hope relies on the inclusion of someone or something recovering from facing adversity. With the story of the survivor tree (a story of hope) people see the tree as a sign of hope that if this tree can survive than we can. Stories of Hope can often be overlooked as they might be on the lower scale of an adversity faced. In conclusion a story of hope is one that we can learn from and be inspired by. Hope is something that can be shared.”

Near the end weeks of this project half of our class went on a feild study trip while half stayed back. Those who stayed back would present their project to their peers and get feedback on how to move forward in this project. After receiving feedback on my project I pivoted my main idea. Before, my idea focused on how near death experiences offer hope, then pivoted to how communities and spirituality are support systems of hope. My first thesis was: “Surviving a near death experience is an unimaginable feat, but these obstacles present the opportunity for individuals to emerge victorious and share their incredibly inspiring stories of hope.” However after changing my focus point my thesis is now: “It is not uncommon for individuals who have encountered near death experiences to undergo a shift in their beliefs. However, with the help of a supportive community and a newfound appreciation for life, many individuals are able to rediscover their spirituality. These obstacles present the opportunity for individuals to emerge victorious and share their incredibly inspiring stories of hope.” In my video I was going to have an interview with my mom, who is a labor and delivery nurse, to hear some of the stories of hope she has encountered, however due to confidentiality of patients I was unable to proceed with this interview. 

Now in my video I did state my answer to the driving question but to restate it my answer to “What lessons and inspiration can we draw from the stories of individuals and communities that have faced tragedy and overcome adversity?” Is that ultimately, the stories of those who have faced tragedy and adversity remind us that we are capable of great things, even when the odds are stacked against us. By learning from their experiences, we can build a better future for ourselves and for those around us. It is not uncommon for individuals who have encountered near death experiences to undergo a shift in their beliefs. However, with the help of a supportive community and a newfound appreciation for life, many individuals are able to rediscover their spirituality. These obstacles present the opportunity for individuals to emerge victorious and share their incredibly inspiring stories of hope.

I believe that this project went well. I was unable to have origional footage like those who went on the trip and were able to visit places significant to their examples of hope. I think that for being one of the ones who stayed home I was able to develope a deeper meaning as to what hope is and how these stories can shape our perspective on overcoming adversity. I think that in future projects I would like to work better on my work ethic in getting an outline on timing of completion of assignments. Overall I really enjoyed this project and it left me with a deeper understanding of what hope, resilience, and adversity truly means. 

Stay tuned for my next post.

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