Esperanza
That was my name in my senior AP Spanish class (pretty sure it was the only AP class I ever took). Esperanza. Pronounced with a 'th' sound for the Z because that's how they do it in the motherland. Esperanza means 'hope'. Hope is a funny thing. Funny isn't the right word. Hope can be wonderful. And cruel. And unforgiving. Hope gives us a moment to breathe. It lets us relax a little. It gives us the possibility of peace again. Hope enables us to get some rest, to return to life a bit, to check back in with things that don't really matter. But then just as quickly as you've checked back in, hope can disappear. Like a rug pulled out from underneath you. Like that magic trick where the waiter pulls the table cloth out from underneath all of the dishes without breaking a single dish. Only this time all of the dishes are shattered and you've got red wine on your white dress. Suddenly, you're back to panic and sleeplessness and doing only what mat...