If you need hope for the future, start a garden.

The acts of selecting seeds, planting them, watering the sprouts, nurturing the plants, and enjoying the fruits, flowers, and foliage are manifestations of hope for the future. Until the last, all of your effort is channeled into something that will happen in the future. Dreams of a slender bean or a bright ranunculus drive you to complete the difficult tasks of working the soil, weeding repeatedly, and living with dirty fingernails.

It is never too late to get started, and it is never too late to make a change toward a better life.