Often, we are too afraid to admit our hopes out loud to the world in fear that our hearts will be crushed by the painful force of reality. When I began reading "20% Hope, 80% Despair" by Leah in the May issue of Teen Ink, I was captured by Leah's thoughts about hope. This made me think that many people probably have these thoughts about hope, but don't dare to dwell on them. Instead, they try to bury it in the depths of their mind, like Pandora closing the box on Hope.
Towards the end, Leah talks about how she had hope for her grandfather, who was diagnosed with cancer, but lost it all to despair when she found out it had spread to his bones. She also finds out that her grandmother has the same type of cancer and that she only has a 20% chance of being cured. However, Leah is holding on to that 20%. Leah's declaration that she will not let despair get to her and that she will continue to hope for that 20% really moved me. Her continuous optimism and determination is something rarely seen in people these days, and I hope it never dies.