A ray of sunshine in bright yellow, youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman astounded the world with her inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb.” With so much to lament these days, it’s easy to focus on the negative, but young Amanda—who struggled with speech and audio processing challenges as a child—urges us to “[find] the power to author a new chapter.”
In a recent CNN interview, Amanda said she was unable to pronounce the letter “R” sound until two or three years ago. “Even to this day, sometimes I struggle with it, which is difficult when you have a poem in which you say ‘rise’ like five times.”
Beyond being inspired by how she refused let obstacles overrun her, I’m drawn to the contrasts she shared: “That even as we grieved, we grew / That even as we hurt, we hoped / That even as we tired, we tried.”
Such oppositions can—and must—exist for all of us. As she voiced so eloquently, the light is there if we’re brave enough to see it.
Sunday Journal Prompt
When have you been “brave enough” to see the light during a dark time in your life? How can you find growth and strength amid obstacles?
If you missed Amanda’s delivery, click here.
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