In all the two thousand, six hundred and eighty-five days I have been blogging, I have never once used the word “despair.”
Today, the news causes me to despair.
What should I do with despair? I shall turn to others who have written about despair before:
“Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.” — Elie Weisel
“The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel that there are no choices.” — Warren G. Bennis
“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
“Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair.” — Edmund Burke
“The most common form of despair is not being who you are. ” — Søren Kierkegaard
“Despair is is the price one pays for self-awareness. Look deeply into life, and you’ll always find despair.” — Irvin Yalom
“Despair is the fleeting fury of a hopeless soul.” — Immanuel Kant
“Despair is the suicide of the heart.” — Jean Paul Richter
“Human life begins on the other side of despair.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
“Life, which creates despair, is stronger than despair.” — Alain Grandbois
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi“But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.” — George Eliot
“Action is the antidote to despair.” — Joan Baez
I was beginning to despair that all the quotes today would be from men, until I found those last two.
Do you see despair in any of my photos from yesterday?
Here is “Despair” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:
I believe gratitude is an antidote to despair, so thanks to all who help me create this blog, day after day.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 
Sending you much love and hugs, my friend (♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡
“It’s the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
‘Til we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life”
– The Lion King (Circle of life)
I shall not despair, my friend, when there are people like you in this world. ❤
Vice versa, my dear friend(๑´ლ`๑)ﾌﾌ♡
May our gratitude beat the despair, Ann.
I am grateful for you, my friend.
Hope you okay 😊
Your care and hope dispel my despair! Thank you, Kellie. ❤
Seeing Oscar in the sun reminds me that my wife says cats are solar-powered. And that makes me think about how there’s hope, the opposite of despair, as long as the sun shines.
Thanks for bringing in the sunshine here, Chris.
I experienced malaise once, but hope kept it from becoming despair. Odd thing malaise. It’s a darkening of the soul, a sense of things going not so well. Mine was associated with an undiagnosed medical issue at a time in my life I was sure I’d live to be a 100, that I was invincible. Once the source of the malaise was diagnosed by my pulmonologist, the road to hope was assured, I despaired not! May you and all your readers not despair, keep the hope that you will see an end to what we must endure for how long we won’t know till the COVID-19 is conquered or tamed.
Your hopeful comment is an enduring antidote to despair, my friend!
Don’t despair, we’re with you, Ann
Knowing we are with each other is a wonderful cure for despair. Many thanks.
For every thing there is a counter. For hate, there is love. For fear, there is confidence. For despair, there is hope. As night falls on our despair, dawn ushers in hope.
Hope is always with us in life. Dante noted the only instance of hope’s demise on a placard over the entrance to hell. So long as we can regard this world as a proving ground and not solely a playground despair can never subdue hope.
-Alan
Thank you, Alan, as always, for bringing your faithful hope here.
Praised and aspired – anagrams of despair!
Also diapers, but I hope none of us come to that!
You are being praised for this aspired comment, my friend!
there is always hope, waiting on the edge of despair. it’s up to us to reach for it, and sometimes that’s a damn hard stretch. i really like the george eliot quote, she knows of what she speaks. we’re with you.
You know of what you speak, beth, and I love being with you.
Despair and me are well acquainted
I’m sorry to hear that, Jo-Anne, especially since you help reduce my despair.
I can fully understand your feeling
Feeling understood dispels despair, my understanding friend.
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Living for your blogs this weekend. Thank you. ❤
Favorite quote that you shared today: “The most common form of despair is not being who you are. ” — Søren Kierkegaard
Hi, Elizabeth Kate. Thanks for being who you are. I shall not despair about the fact that it took me so long to see this comment! ❤
Despair is nothing the kitties know of.
I think you’re right, Maria.