If all you read are headlines, when the nights are long
And your days are crammed with deadlines, sometimes
The world can seem a gloomy place, a tired space
Of fighting and blighting and struggling to make ends meet,
Of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and yet
In the midst of crises that show no signs of letting up
I see you stepping up, I see you getting up
And taking control of your life, I see you setting up
The conditions for success, patiently building a dream,
Knowing that each brick and beam is an investment,
A testament to hard work and foresight, to the light
Beyond the storm, to the calm beyond the chaos,
For there have always been hard times, and those
Who step up to the challenge, who manage to cope
Because their hope lies not in wishes but in action,
Who find traction in solutions, rather than being stuck
In the mire of problems and the wire of snares, who,
Like you, are stepping up and striding out and shining bright.
— Wayne Visser