You probably remember the story by Eleanor Porter of the little girl, Pollyanna, orphaned and living with her stern aunt, who made a huge sensation in her small town by showing even the grumpiest residents things for which they could be glad. It seemed no difficulty, no illness, no heartache was too grim to prevent Pollyanna from finding something redeeming to celebrate. Eventually, because of the book’s success, Pollyanna became a household word, though her name was not always appreciatively recalled. In fact, Pollyanna is still used as a dismissive label for someone too naïve or too unrealistic to face the dismal facts.
But is finding joy amid hardship really all that foolish? Are hopes, ideals and dreams just so much fluff? Maybe not. Maybe they just need tempering with enough sober reflection that they are capable of buoying us up without letting us float away. “Be ye wise as serpents and innocent as doves” was an admonition of Jesus to his followers that seems to promote just such a balance in outlook and practice, though these days it’s hard to find that sort of balance. We tend to be serpents or doves, but not both.
For example, we frequently hear people speak out who are deeply discouraged about the world and its prospects, don’t we? They judge the hard realities of our political, social and economic problems to be dire and possibly irredeemable. They see their own well-being as threatened. But if their pessimism leads only to anger or outrage, nothing much is accomplished. Because, when we lash out or strike back, we rarely achieve the outcome we truly desire – we just contribute to more unpleasantness (and serpentine hissing).
On the other hand, wide-eyed optimism doesn’t get us too far, either. We dare not assume our problems, whether communal or personal, can be quickly and easily transcended. Nor should we expect that at heart everyone is good and kind and simply wants the best for us. There’s no use in pretending we human beings are any nobler than we are. If we are emotionally undefended and practically ill-prepared, we’re sitting ducks (or helpless doves).
So what’s the answer? We like what Vaclav Havel – Czech writer, author, and statesman – once had to say about the perspective he adopted in facing life’s difficulties. He said, “I am not an optimist, because I am not sure that everything ends well. Nor am I a pessimist, because I am not sure that everything ends badly. I just carry hope in my heart. Hope is the feeling that life and work have a meaning. You either have it or you don’t, regardless of the state of the world that surrounds you. Life without hope is an empty, boring, and useless life … I am thankful to God for this gift. It is as big as life itself.”
Maybe Pollyanna got a bad rap. Maybe acknowledging life’s strains, heartaches and hardships – while still carrying within us the hope to tackle and redeem them (and even claim some joy in the process) – is the very heart of wisdom.