A NEW WAY TO HOPE

A retired therapist blends memoir and stories of others finding hope under trying circumstances.

“When I decided to write a book about Hope,” Stephenson writes, “I realized that I had all the stories I needed.” As a counselor in private practice involved in creating hospices throughout the United States, the author has served hundreds of clients with life-threatening illnesses. Stephenson poignantly notes that the “dying can be our teachers, no matter what their age.” A key lesson espoused by many on their deathbeds, he notes, is the importance of focusing one’s energy on what and who one loves today, rather than on an imagined future. Hope also provides an opportunity to live fully, Stephenson points out, even when death is imminent. The book’s 31 anecdotes, divided thematically into stories about children, young adults, adults, and “Hope in Other Circumstances,” combine recollections from the author’s own life as well as his clients’ (with their permission). All emphasize the centrality of hopefulness to the human experience, ranging from an account of a conversation during a fishing trip to a story of a 29-year-old man who was diagnosed with leukemia. The book is written in a conversational style by a trained mental health professional, who offers a plethora of inspirational demonstrations of the unexpected ways in which positive feelings about the future can be found. Although the author often references God (“Death is a purposeful part of God’s providence”), he never proselytizes; inspirational quotes from religious figures and philosophers from various faith traditions are interspersed between chapters. At fewer than 150 pages, with some stories no longer than a couple of pages long, this is an accessible book whose vignettes may be fruitfully read in any order.

A valuable reminder of the importance of hope, even in one’s darkest hours.