I personally loved this project. Considering how long it took me to complete (sorry teachers) you’d think I’d be sick of it. On the contrary this was one of my favourite projects because I really liked the concept of stories of Hope and exploring what that meant to different people. The driving question;

What lessons and inspiration can we draw from the stories of individuals and communities that have faced tragedy and overcome adversity?

was such a broad topic that I could basically go into anything. I found that I had a really hard time trying to narrow down my focus because there’s too many things I want to focus on, but I was able to hone in on 2 stories in particular. I had a lot of trouble trying to come up with footage for this project especially because I didn’t get to go on the trip that a lot of my classmates went on. In order to both solve the footage problem and make my video a little bit better I decide to go around my neighbourhood and film flowers and plants because I think that it’s a good way of making my thesis stronger. My thesis being;

Stories of hope are guidebooks that’s we look to when facing adversity.

Making the connection that hope is like flowers gave me the ability to divide my video to tell a more coherent story and connect to people more emotionally.

Throughout working on this project I was able to get a deeper understanding of the words; Resilience, Adversity, Survival and Hope, which I defined in my first post on this project. While the meaning is subject for interpretation I have come to understand that these words are what make us who we are. They give us the ability to overcome challenges and grow as people. Working on this project, I learned so much about the human spirit and how powerful hope can be. The stories I researched and shared showed me that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of light. It reminded me that we are all capable of overcoming adversity and that our struggles do not define us but rather shape us into stronger individuals.

One thing that really struck me was how many of the stories of hope had a ripple effect on others around them. Whether it was a community coming together after a tragedy or an individual inspiring others with their resilience, hope had the power to spread and make a significant impact. This reaffirmed my belief that no matter how we may struggle, anyone can turn their setbacks into strength and lean on support systems to come out the other side.

If you take anything from this post, I think it’s important to remember to hold onto hope and know that we have the strength and resilience within us to overcome whatever challenges come our way. The stories of hope I explored showed me that even when things seem impossible, there is always a way forward. So let’s hold onto hope, stay strong, and keep pushing forward.