My son is forever optimistic. He's six years old, which I'm sure helps. His world is pretty simple -- he gets to play, learn, dream and be loved, unconditionally, by Mom and Dad. He wants to be an inventor when we grows up. And a meteorologist. Oh, and a substitute teacher for HIS kindergarten teacher, in case she ever needs a day off in, say, twenty years. Anything and everything is possible for him. He's full of hope.

Hope is a good thing. It's not overrated or frivolous -- or useless. We NEED hope. We need it in our daily lives and into the future. It makes us better people, more engaged, more productive, more ALIVE. Yep, I guess you need hope to live.

When Barack Obama says he has "the audacity of hope," I get it. I just hope that everyone else gets it, too.