A dear friend of mine gave me some wise advice recently.

We were talking about staying positive, no matter what life throws at us. He said if our path seems dark, if we are hurt, we did not have to understand or analyze the reason behind it and we don’t have to like it.

At those times, what we have to do is not fall into despair.

Despair is a word I don’t hear often. I know what it means to me but I looked it up anyway: “Despair is a feeling that nothing good can happen” or, “To lose all hope.”

We were talking about this because, once again, I am struggling with sick lungs and bronchial tubes and I admit to feeling sad about it all.

His words were precious to me because he had been slammed to the very brink himself a few years ago. I had watched him in awe as he faced life’s hardship, lived through it, and came out the other side a wiser man.

He and his wife walked the walk holding hands. But the most important thing he did was to grab hold of God with his other hand. I witnessed the couple cry and call out and then saw their heavenly father give them hope and peace.

To me, despair is the opposite of hope. It sounds so easy, but I can tell you it isn’t. There is much more to it, this getting well and strong again, than hanging on to hope but none of it works without the courage to get through the dark days.

I have found I endure these bouts by standing firmly on my belief there is hope.

The oddest thing happened as I finished this column and was putting it on my desk. I turned on the TV and there stood a man and he said, “I have prostate cancer but I have every hope that I will beat it.”

Then I, idly, switched the channel and — you won’t believe this — it showed a woman who was talking to Dr. Phil about her failing marriage and do you know what the doctor asked her? “Do you still have hope to save it?”

You know what? I think I was supposed to write this column on the importance of hope.

I try to keep my eye on the light because the darker the path, the brighter the light.

The view from the mountain is wondrous.

Jean Brody is a passionate animal lover and mother. She previously lived in Winchester, but now resides in Littleton, Colorado. Her column has appeared in the Sun for more than 25 years.