“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”

— Helen Keller

Born in 1880 in Alabama USA, Helen Keller suffered an illness at 19

months of age which left her blind and deaf for the rest of her life. But, that didn’t stop her from being a writer and lecturer and advocate for several important causes associated with justice. Indeed, her life is immortalized in a Hollywood film bearing her name. She was an indomitable woman, badly affected from ordinary communication skills, but rose above her plights to fill the world with sound wisdom.

Her wisdom, which we are considering today, speaks of the optimism which directed her life in spite of the setbacks she encountered. Why succumb to negative thoughts and emotions which make us feel miserable. Focus on the negative in our lives, then assuredly more negative things will show up. To focus on the positive gives us hope of a new dawn every day, all day.

The downplay of pessimism, as in our quotation above, is the inability to perceive beyond our negative level of consciousness which tends to be pervasive and impedes the purpose of the soul. The immortal soul is given us to perceive and enjoy the manifold gifts of God’s creation. Yes, the secret of the stars and sailing to uncharted

lands gives evidence of the curiosity and spirit of such great men as Copernicus and Kepler on the one hand, and Columbus and Marco Polo on the other. They were people unbounded by horizons that

appeared to block in most other people.

As for opening a new heaven to the human spirit, we land in the truth of the spirituality of human wisdom. Every little bit of insight into

God that we can muster is an invitation to savour the magnificence of God Almighty.Every positive word about God’s mercy and compassion draws us deeper into the mystery of who God is and what he wishes for us.

Every kindly thought about God’s love and designs for us are manifestations of wisdom uttered by the Holy Spirit. Whenever we are moved to reach outstretched hands and arms to the Holy One we experience the meaning and purpose of all things: that we belong in heaven.

Helen Keller can be for us someone who has shown what it means to reach out beyond the confines of human disability to make a positive contribution to the people of the world. During Lent we might find it possible to change our negative attitudes about ourselves, others, and life itself, so that we can be rewarded with a deeper sense of gratitude for all we receive. What have we got to lose? Pessimism is what we have to lose! And attain the eye-opening thrills of the Holy Spirit!