There is a song, called “Inscription of Hope written by Z. Randall Stoope,” with lyrics inspired by words found etched in a cellar wall in Germany during World War II. These are the words:

I believe in the sun
Even when it is not shining
And I believe in love
even when there’s no one there
And I believe in God
Even when He is silent
I believe through any trial
There is always a way

But sometimes in this suffering
And hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter
To know someone’s there
But a voice rises within me
Saying, “Hold on, my child

I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope
Just stay a little while.”

A tragedy happened in our family this week. My cousin and his fiancé were involved in a car accident. His fiancé, Amanda, didn’t survive. Their wedding was to be in three days. Our hearts are breaking for him, his family, and especially Amanda’s family. Amanda was just 18 years old. Tragedy is always magnified by the youth of its victims.

Much has been said of this terrible event. My family and I have talked at length about the regret, the sorrow, the “whys” and the “what-ifs.” My husband and I talked about what we would do had it been us. In the end, though, we can talk and talk, but unless we experienced it, there’s no way to understand what my cousin is going through.

I can’t pretend to know how he feels or what is going through his head. I can’t begin to comprehend his sorrow and turmoil. I feel I have no words or comfort to give him.

But I do know something about living in the pit of sorrow, not knowing how you’re going to make it to the next day or even the next moment. What I know is about hope.

It’s true that sometimes, hope is all we have. When we don’t understand why a terrible thing has happened or why it had to happen to us, when we don’t know how in heaven or on earth we will survive in its wake, that is when hope’s light creeps in.

But you have to let it. You have to want to survive. It’s so, so easy to give in. When it seems your world has been obliterated by a cruel twist of fate, it’s so easy to live in anger and let those negative emotions consume you. And although a grieving period must be had for any loss, you have to believe that it will come to an end and that your life WILL go on.

Hope is believing in the sun even when it is not shining. It’s believing that through any trial, there is always a way. Hope is the voice within us that says, “Hold on,” providing us the strength to stay and make it through to better days.