Connecting the Dots

In a world in which our lives are constantly tested by political polarization and instability, social media onslaughts that challenge our mental health, and deadly weather patterns resulting from climate change, we need hope more than ever. As Dr Dorit Redlich-Amirav shows in this book, hope is a sustaining force—and it isn't nearly as elusive as you might think. An occupational therapist in the mental health field, Dr Redlich-Amirav made this important discovery after multiple conversations with two Israeli Jewish and two Palestinian Muslim mothers of adult children with mental illness living in a conflict zone. Redlich-Amirav learned that it's possible to generate hope by performing simple occupations in spiritual ways—anything from a walk on the beach to preparing a traditional meal for loved ones. One of the biggest takeaways from her study is that hope is constantly in motion: when Redlich-Amirav asked the mothers to tell her a story about hope, they always began with a story about hopelessness, underscoring the reality that even when we feel most hopeless, our hope can and will be renewed.