I heard the story of Pandora’s box years ago. I’m not even sure how old I was when I first heard the story. For those not familiar with the tale you can find it at http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/pandoras-box-myth/
The version I heard was that hope was captured inside the box for a time but pleaded to be let out too. I used this in my show for cancer. Symbolizing no matter how scary and rotten cancer was there is always hope. Since then I learned the power of hope with many troubles.
PTSD sometimes feels hopeless. In the grip of a flashback, reliving horrors no one should have to face, I find it difficult to believe that the darkness will ever break even for a moment. Hopeless, despair, irreparable, irreversible, uncorrectable, no way out, impossible, are all words that take on depth of meaning when PTSD takes over my life. Hope is a flickering candle in this darkness.
A search of quotes on the internet netted millions of hits. Brainy quotes is a favorite of mine:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_hope.html
I think Desmond Tutu says it best….
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
Too often when I focus on solving a problem that seems overwhelming I tend to lose sight of hope. I think this year my word to study is hope. Start with a definition from Mirriam and Webster:
intransitive verb
1 to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>
2 archaic : trust
transitive verb
1 to desire with expectation of obtainment
2 to expect with confidence : trust
— hope against hope
to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment
Wow the word trust jumped out at me. I’ll need to explore that some more.
I believe that the hope I have felt is the hope against hope….no logical reason to hope for something better but hope any way. For me, being in total darkness and believing the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train.
A single candle brings light to the darkest room.
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Romans 12:12
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
PTSD - Accepting, Coping, Thriving 
I never thought of tying hope and trust together. Trust is such a struggle for any survivor. To have them tied explains to me more clearly why I struggle with both. It also helps me realize I need to build both.
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Thank you
There was a time that I believed that hope was for people that were weak, and that accepting that there was no hope was how a person remained strong. It took me a lot of years to figure out that being really strong means having the ability to have hope, even when things feel bleak, and nurturing that hope and keeping it alive. A person that can believe in hope brings strength and perspective into their lives.
Thanks for sharing this one. Hope and trust are two things that many abuse survivors struggle with, and working on one aspect, helps you strengthen and develop the other. Good to remember.
Your welcome. Hugs.