February 23: Go On in Hope
Charles Dickens knew misfortune intimately—childhood poverty, family disgrace, and the humiliation of working in a rat-infested warehouse at age twelve. Yet this man who had every reason to dwell on past wounds chose instead to counsel us toward our present blessings. His wisdom carries weight precisely because it comes not from easy optimism, but from someone who learned to resist the gravity of grievance and choose hope instead.