I enjoyed a fabulous vacation in Europe this summer, which included the obvious benefits of time with family, many servings of pan au chocolate, and a three hour tour of The Louvre. But the best thing I got from my recent trip to France and the UK was completely unexpected: a renewed sense of hope. The people, places, and ideas I encountered brought fresh optimism to my heart.
In a time when many of us are struggling mentally and financially, and losing faith in our institutions and leadership, I want to share reasons to hope.
First, a little perspective. Yes, America is skidding through a rough patch. We’re unhappy and argumentative, favoring division over discussion, and facing serious inflation. Things look bleak. But while I stood in a church in Wales built centuries before the American Revolutionary War, I grasped how young our country is.
And, our country is certainly not the first to experience challenge and division. Walking the streets of Paris that were bloodied by The Reign of Terror during the chaotic years of the French Revolution made the current state of the United States seem relatively tame. We humans have always tended toward power struggles and oppression. It’s not a great record, but it’s nothing new. Also not new: people prepared to combat the ugliest of human tendencies, to champion those without voices, and to call us all to higher moral ground. We have risen above chaos, tyranny, and war before, and we can do it again.
A great example of the triumph of human goodness was the Llangollen International Eisteddfod (music festival) that I attended in Wales. It’s kind of like our Chautauqua Arts Festival on a bigger scale. The people of Llangollen are very proud of their beautiful country and also quite proud of their eisteddfod. Organizers hosted the first Llangollen Eisteddfod in 1947 to promote unity after World War II. Groups from seven countries performed at that first festival alongside choirs from England, Scotland, and Wales. The idea was to facilitate harmony among countries via the common language of music. The Eisteddfod was a success and has been a standing tradition for the past 75 years.
The Llangollen Eisteddfod returned to in person performances this summer after switching to virtual festivities during the COVID pandemic, and we got to attend. Our family enjoyed performances from musicians and singers from Belgium, India, Austria, the Middle East, Kosovo, and the United Kingdom. During a particularly moving program, groups of school children with disabilities including autism and deafness sang a few songs. Then their director taught the audience how to sign the lyrics to “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, and we all performed it together. I got goose bumps as I sang and signed these words with hundreds of other people: “I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors, and that’s why I love you. So don’t be afraid to let them show. Your true colors are beautiful, like a rainbow.”
The atmosphere at the festival was positive and inclusive, celebrating diversity and embracing differences. The logo for the festival is a dragon (the symbol of Wales) merged with a harp. The motto for the festival is: “Blessed is a world that sings; gentle are its songs.” It filled my soul to be around so many people dedicated to inclusion and peace. There was also some really yummy Welsh ice cream with “flake” (aka, a stick of chocolate). Sadly, I couldn’t bring any of that back, but I do have a dragon sitting on my bookshelf.
You can learn more about the Llangollen Eisteddfod at https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/.
What have you done/ seen/ experienced this summer to give you new reasons to hope?
Thanks for getting hopeful with me!
Thank you for sharing. I loved this and it touched me during this time where things so dark at times.
Yay, Linda. I’m glad it meant something to you. Thank you for commenting, and keep hoping! 🙂