Feature

A Little Bit of Hope

Zarahnaaz Feroz

I have no idea why I do it, but I love reading horoscopes. Surprisingly, I find them to be quite accurate, or close to accurate for that matter. I know that the chances of a correct prediction are slim to none, but I cannot help but wonder, how do they do it? What power do they possess that they always find a way to connect to my everyday life? I have realized though, that often, after I read a certain prediction, I attempt to find a way to associate the prediction to my day. So, are the horoscopes really true, or am I compelling the events in my life to legitimize the words I read? Nevertheless, all the wondering does not stop my fascination with horoscopes!

This fascination with horoscopes began when I was a child. My mom, my sister and I were loading gigantic (or what seemed like gigantic at the young age of eight) brown boxes, worn out suitcases, and furniture into a moving van. Technically, most of the heavy lifting was done by muscular movers, but we ended up with the grumbling stomachs anyhow. So, my sister and I ran up the street to a line of shops, and entered our favourite Chinese restaurant. The familiar short and friendly Chinese man gave us a big smile and some fortune cookies along with our order of vegetable lo mein and garlic chicken. The aroma was too strong and our stomachs were grumbling, so we took the liberty of opening a fortune cookie along the walk home. Inside it, a small, rectangular piece of paper read:

“You will be moving onto bigger and better places”.
I was shocked! How on earth did the cookie know we were moving to a better house?

Ten years ago, I used to think the cookies knew I was moving because God sent them to the restaurant knowing they would reach me. I was believed in that opinion till that date. God was giving me approval and blessings for the big move. God was giving me assurance that I would indeed enjoy living in the new neighbourhood. It was the ideal neighbourhood; one filled with loads of trees and parks, where friendly neighbours barbecue in their backyards. Not to mention, finally I would have a nice bedroom all to myself. God was giving me hope.

Hope is probably the one thing that keeps us alive. We live in a fast, chaotic world. Global warming, economic crisis, war on terror, and undying poverty are all just the beginning of the problems the world contends with today. All we can do is put our best foot forward, and tirelessly work to eradicate and overcome all the challenges. With all the competition that exists among the youth today, attaining success has become even more arduous. How can we, the youth, do anything unless we truly believe we can make a change. And, how can we believe unless we have just a little bit of hope?

Hope is the reason why I love horoscopes so much. That is why every day I believe in God; I talk to God because I feel safe knowing there is a great Omnipresent Being watching over me; someone who can make great things happen and make farfetched dreams come true. Someone who can promise me that everything will be okay. That is why no matter how unrelated a day's horoscope turns out to be, I can still always harmonize it with my life. I am young, and I have a very unpredictable, long life ahead of me, but I like to know every now and then that I can have a tiny peek into my future. If it is bright, hope will only increase. If it is cloudy, well then it's time to get out the tools and start amending! Nowhere is there a question of these horoscopes ever giving false hope, because a great man, Barack H. Obama, once said, “there has never been anything false about hope.”

(Private A Levels Candidate Residing in Dhanmondi)