Hope and Grace

While the stock market tumbles and trade war rages, my mind is on two of my closest friends who are dealing with unexpected challenges. Watching them find a new normal is utterly humbling and shines perspective on life.

I will call them “Hope” and “Grace” because that is what they embody and instill in me.

Hope and I have been friends for over two decades. She was recently handed a life threatening diagnosis. She is managing the trial with courage, strength and humor despite searing discomfort. Grace is my childhood bestie. She lost her accomplished daughter unexpectedly. She is retraining her heart and mind to create new joys while never forgetting what she has lost.

Hope is a kickass lady. A tech geek by profession, her passion lies in a creative field. Between operating in a fast-paced tech world with constant pressure to deliver, Hope has juggled the opposing technical and artistic forces in her life with enviable finesse. I am not at all surprised that during her recovery her first thought is focused on work.

Grace is a natural born leader. In 8th grade, we became tight friends because we knew that together we'd sail through high school with ease and we did. She went on to become a wiz at marketing strategies for corporations. After retirement she started a blog aimed at middle-aged women as a way to give back. I spent time with her recently and saw how she is building habits that are steadily recreating a sturdy foundation.

As creative people, Hope and Grace need a large sandbox to play in: space to try new things, time to sustain their innate skills, a place to showcase their talent and interactions with other creatives. These benefits are rarely afforded to technologists and marketing leaders who play in a tight sandbox which is crowded even before you step in. Carving out a niche isn’t for the faint-hearted. Making mistakes is frowned up and deadlines are unrelenting. Perhaps their professions have steeled Hope and Grace to deal with what life has dished so unexpectedly.

When I told Hope she inspires me as she deals with her health challenge and work, she responded in a quintessentially understated manner, "I am not an inspiration, but thank you. Just have to get through each day for the moment and plan a different future.” Grace’s first reaction when I reached out after I heard about her daughter was, "We will find a way through this."

I recognized Hope’s strength the first time I met her and we bonded right away. In middle school, I knew Grace was capable of enormous courage. Now, they are showing me how to render hope and grace in the face of the devastation. They are quietly teaching me how far I have to go as an individual to be remotely resilient like them.

Hang tight, my friends.

Know that I am cheering for you every second of every day. May the beauty around you keep you energized and hold your strength while you journey onward.

Photo: St James Park, London, March 2025