An inspiring story: A father once gave his young daughter a simple locket as a gift. He told her that a very valuable diamond was sealed inside it and that if she was ever in need, she could crack open the locket, sell the diamond, and make it through her difficulties.

The man’s young daughter grew into a woman who struggled through some terrible times. For years, she was poor and alone. But just the thought of the diamond nestled safely inside the locket she wore around her neck day and night gave her enough strength and courage to make it through.

Many years later, she had finally achieved success in her life and no longer had to struggle to survive. Yet her curiosity about her locket had grown to the point that she needed to know more about it. She wanted to know how much the diamond was actually worth.

So she took her precious locket to the finest jeweler in her village. He eyed the old, tarnished metal with a flash of disdain, raised his mallet, and with one quick blow, smashed the little locket, releasing a small, shiny piece. The jeweler scooped it up and held it to the light and told the woman, “Why this is not a diamond, my lady, but a worthless bit of ordinary glass!”

Stunned by the news, the woman laughed and cried at the same time. “No, kind sir, that is the most valuable diamond in the world!” She held the bit of glass in her hand and wiped tears of gratitude from her

Her loving father had given her a priceless gem after all … the gift of hope and the belief that she would always be all right. It had helped her survive difficult times and gave her the courage to find inner strength.

Hope — what a priceless gift it is. It can sustain us, too, through difficult times in our writing and our lives. Let’s nurture it in ourselves and give it to others as we all write on!