Illustration by Diana Sudyka, (pronounced: soo-dee-kah), illustrator from Chicago, IL

As the cold frost creeps across our windows and plants and animals bundle up to conserve their energy for winter, this January, we’ve chosen Hope as our virtue of the month.

Hope is believing in the goodness within ourselves, in others, and in the world. It’s the courage to dream - and to keep believing in that dream, even when it feels out of reach.

As Emily Dickinson beautifully writes:

 

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all.”

 

This month, we honor the dreamers of the world through a selection of hopeful stories - both true and fictional. Stories of people like Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, featured in Drum Dream Girl, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, becoming one of the first women to play the drums in a field long reserved for men.

And people like Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, featured in Emmanuel’s Dream, a boy born in Ghana with one deformed leg who, against all odds, became a world-renowned cyclist. Emmanuel rode more than 400 miles across Ghana to raise awareness and advocate for people with disabilities.

We invite you to explore these hopeful stories with your kiddos this winter season. Here are a few conversation starters to spark reflection and discussion:

  • What gives you hope?
  • Do you have any dreams?
  • Can you remember a time when you felt hopeful, even when something was hard?
 

For more ideas, check out our website: https://valuesandvirtues.org/