It’s also the start of the second half of the year, which is a good time to reassess goals. Looking back on the first half of 2019, I know that I have struggled — and I think a lot of people have — to keep hope alive in the face of political obstacles that often seem insurmountable. I know that I have needed the knowledge that other people are still hopeful, and still fighting. I know that there are going to be some weeks where I can get by, and other weeks where I feel like all the skin has been flayed off my body.

So this is my new goal for 2019: One day out of every week, no matter’s happening I’m going to be hopeful. I’m going to say hopeful things and make hopeful choices, and I’m going to believe that fighting for justice will have an impact. Because if there is one thing the arc of human history does teach, it’s that change is slow, and it depends on people not giving up.

This doesn’t mean I won’t be fighty on other days. I’m still going to call my elected officials when stuff comes up, and I’m still going to protest concentration camps, and all that stuff, and that will be day-of-the-week agnostic. The only change is going to be that one day out of every single week, I will believe with all my heart and with no doubt that we are going to win, and America is going to become the country I want it to be. If I have to fake it I’ll fucking fake it. This whole thing isn’t a marathon, it’s a relay, and my goal for the second half of 2019 is to carry the hope baton one day a week.

(If it goes good I may up it to two days a week! Who knows!)

I’m picking Wednesdays because Juneteenth was on a Wednesday this week (and I love Juneteenth), and also because the middle of the week seems like a good time to try for hope. I’d love it if other people wanted to pick out hope days too. And I’d extra love it if you’d drop a line in the comments and tell me how you keep yourself going when everything looks so goddamn grim.

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