Hope true

There was a bear in North St. Paul today. Not figuratively. Not the ugly white plaster polar bear. An actual black bear. I was teaching and informed to not let students out of the classroom. I heard later that an administrator was called by a frantic parent that had heard there was a bear in school.

Sweet.

It was most likely my last day with the ESL class - at the end of the day, Fernando has a long piece of hair in his hand (supposedly one of mine).

"Ms., I read your air."

"My what?"

"You air. I read your air. You've been cheated on? You're boyfriend cheat on you?"

blink. blink.

"Actually, I have been cheated on. Big time. My husband and I have been cheated out of some money."

"You see Ms. I could tell. Your hair is straight, but near the end it goes around like this--" Fernando proceeds to swirl his finger in a downward spiral.

Yes, that is my hair fraying from stress - nothing mystical there.

Tolga and I continue to struggle to sort issues out. I find myself feeling hope when I get an email, or read about the perfect job prospect, etc. I was driving home today, marveling at how excited I felt that our property management was promising, once again, to make a payment by a certain date. Hope gave me so much energy and courage.

Is hope fickle? Is hope like adolescent hormones?

Is hope true?