02/16/2026
“While I breathe, I hope.” — South Carolina State Motto
I’m originally from South Carolina, and I’ve always loved our state motto. It’s not loud optimism. It’s not pretending things are fine. It’s just the simplest truth: as long as I’m still here, all is not lost.
Some days hope looks like action. Some days it looks like rest. Some days it just looks like getting through the day without hardening your heart.
I think of hope less as a bright future and more like this spectacular tree. The Angel Oak on Johns Island, just outside Charleston, SC, is over 400 years old. It has lived through wars, hurricanes, and centuries of change. Deep roots, long seasons, and weathered branches... it just keeps growing despite all kinds of storms.
Hope doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s just digging deep and continuing to be.