Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn't permanent.

Hearken, O children of the heart, and attend to the words of Jean Kerr, who whispered across time: “Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn't permanent.” In these words lies a quiet truth of profound depth: that all emotions, whether sorrow or joy, are transient, and that within the impermanence of experience rests the seed of renewal. Hope, as Kerr teaches, is the subtle awareness that the dark night of despair will pass, and that even the heaviest burden is but a fleeting visitor upon the soul.

Since the dawn of human consciousness, mortals have wrestled with the weight of suffering, the sting of loss, and the turbulence of emotion. Philosophers and sages alike recognized that to endure is to understand impermanence. The Stoics taught that joy and sorrow alike are temporary, and that serenity is cultivated when one accepts the ephemeral nature of feeling. Kerr’s insight echoes this ancient wisdom: hope is born from the recognition that no state—painful or pleasurable—lasts forever.

Consider the story of Viktor Frankl, who endured the horrors of the Holocaust yet preserved within himself a steadfast hope. Even in the darkest moments of suffering, he understood that the despair he felt was not eternal, that the human spirit could endure, and that life still held meaning. Kerr’s definition finds embodiment here: hope is the quiet knowledge that feelings, no matter how overwhelming, are impermanent, and that perseverance and faith allow one to emerge renewed.

The essence of hope lies in perspective. To feel sorrow, fear, or uncertainty is natural, but to recognize its transitory nature is liberation. Kerr reminds us that life’s storms, though fierce, are never permanent. The river may flood, the night may darken, yet both recede in time, leaving the soil of the heart fertile for growth, reflection, and joy. In this awareness, hope becomes both shield and compass, sustaining the soul through trials.

In another sense, hope encourages action. Knowing that feelings are not permanent inspires resilience: the wounded may heal, the lost may find direction, and the burdened may rise again. History teaches this through the lives of those who persevered: Abraham Lincoln, whose grief over personal loss and national strife did not extinguish his resolve; Helen Keller, who transcended blindness and deafness to illuminate the world. Kerr’s insight reminds us that hope is active—it shapes how we endure, respond, and grow despite the fleeting nature of circumstance.

O seeker, take this teaching into your own life: when sorrow presses, when fear threatens, when despair whispers, remember that the feeling is not eternal. Hope is the knowledge of impermanence, the inner flame that whispers, “This too shall pass.” Nurture it, hold it close, and let it guide your heart through turbulence, for in this recognition lies strength, courage, and serenity.

Moreover, understand that hope is intimately tied to mindfulness. To observe emotions without being consumed by them, to feel fully yet know that they are temporary, cultivates resilience and clarity. Jean Kerr’s words remind us that human experience is a river of passing sensations, and that hope is the anchor that steadies the vessel as it flows. By embracing impermanence, we allow ourselves to live fully, freely, and courageously.

Thus, Jean Kerr’s words endure as both meditation and guide: hope is the awareness that no feeling is permanent, and within this knowledge lies the power to endure, to act, and to flourish. Let it inspire patience in sorrow, humility in joy, and courage in uncertainty. Walk through the seasons of your heart with this wisdom, knowing that each wave, though formidable, will recede, and that hope will carry you to the shores of renewal and possibility.

If you wish, I can also craft a short illustrative story showing someone finding hope through the impermanence of their suffering, making Kerr’s reflection vividly tangible for listeners. Would you like me to do that?