DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY SWATI SARDESAI

COURAGE of HOPEBY PILY SIMON

COURAGE of HOPEBY PILY SIMON

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY SWATI SARDESAI

Copyright © 2012 by Pily Simon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,

or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from

Pily Simon or an authorized agent assigned by her. Rights are herby granted to

authors to use brief quotations within their own literary articles or reviews, provided

that standard bibliographic credits are given.

Jacket and book design by Swati Sardesai

ISBN: 978-0-615-64602-2

First Printing in Mexico

Special Edition

courageofhope.com

To the inspiration and joy of my life, my two beautiful, talented and courageous children

J O S E A N D A L E X I S

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

First of all I want to thank my dear husband Alejandro Simónwhose support made this book possible.

My children José and Alexis for their love and support.

Also, I want to thank my loving parents Friedel and Puly Landa, who instilledin me my faith and values. I further want to thank all my family, including my brothers,

in-laws, nieces, nephews and all my dear friends who supportedand encouraged me to write and believe in myself.

With special thanks:To my assistant Lucille Ramos for always encouraging me to stay positive and

for all her help from the beginning of this book.

To Rev. Msgr. Frank H. Rossi, Pastor of St. Michael Catholic Churchfor his prayers and guidance.

To Dr. Connie Michalos for her wise advice and knowledge.

To Elaine Stolte, Executive Director for The Children Assessment Center in Houstonwhose leadership I admire and who fueled my motivation to help the children.

‘And a very special thanks to my dearest “HOPE”...who lives in my heart,your heart and if you believe, will preserve the innocence of the child within us

and the children of the world!’

Once upon a time, in a faraway Kingdom, there

lived a beautiful and very joyful hummingbird

named Hope. Every morning, he contemplated

the beauty of that magical land where everything

was so colorful and peaceful. He loved to visit the many

different types of flowers, trees and animals. All were friends

and they were so happy and thankful to have a very wise, good

and generous King, and a very beautiful, caring and loving

Queen who together took good care of the Kingdom.

One morning, while Hope was visiting the flowers, he noticed a white dove trying

desperately to drink water from a fountain. She seemed sad and lonely, so Hope asked the

dove, “Do you need some help?”

The dove was amazed to see such a beautiful hummingbird staring at her. Even though she

was crying, she was able to answer, “My name is Peace, I feel weak and I am in so much

pain that I cannot even drink the water from this beautiful fountain.” Hope took a leaf,

filled it with water and gave it to Peace to drink.

“Hello. My name is Hope and I would love to help you. What is wrong?”

“I have been flying for days trying to find a safe place to stay because it is impossible to

live anymore where I come from. People are killing each other with so much hate and

violence, that there is not even one day when I can enjoy life with my family and friends. It

is so painful to see how much evil has been spreading in my land.”

“Where do you come from?”

“I come from below the clouds, and I really cannot believe how many problems we are

experiencing,” Peace sighed. “Anyway, thank you, Hope, for the water and for your help.”

Then, Peace slowly looked around and softly said, “Wow, everything is so calm here.”

“Yes, let me show you!”

So they flew away, visiting Hope’s Kingdom and talking to each other. Peace was so

impressed to see the beauty everywhere. It was amazing to see the crystal clear rivers,

emerald green mountains and fantastic rainbows. Peace was especially impressed to see

how loving and friendly everybody was toward each other.

Hope introduced Peace to all his friends. They gave her a very warm welcome, and Peace

felt safe and loved.

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“Thank you very much, Hope, for showing me all this beauty and for all your care.”

“It is my pleasure, Peace. I really feel so sorry for all your pain and everything you have

been dealing with, but now you are safe. Let me show you our Castle.”

“It is amazing…so beautiful and majestic, a real masterpiece,” Peace exclaimed.

The Castle’s gates were tall and beautiful, brighter than gold. Hope and Peace sat on

them, admiring the precious stones on the towers and around the windows of the Castle.

The windows were made of colorful crystals that matched the precious stones, while

decorating all the majestic towers as well. It was truly a masterpiece.

Peace was impressed, but she still looked so sad thinking about the evil and suffering her

beloved land was facing. “Thank you Hope, for showing me all this. It is truly amazing,

but I don’t see how you can really help me from up here. You are so small. Believe me you

cannot even imagine how terrible the situation is below the clouds.”

“Well, I have a wonderful idea! Let’s see the King! We can ask for help and special

permission for me to visit your land.” So they both went to the Castle.

As soon as they arrived, the Queen welcomed them in a loving way.

“Good morning, Your Majesty!”

“Oh! Good morning my dear Hope!”

“Your Majesty, this is my friend Peace!”

“I’m so happy to meet you, Peace. What brings you here today, Hope?”

“We came to see the King.”

“What do you need, my precious Hope?”

“Well, Peace comes from below the clouds, and things are getting too violent there. I want

to help her, but I don’t know how!”

“Oh my dearest Hope, that’s so nice of you!” the Queen smiled and said, “Let me see what

I can do.”

“I cannot believe it, Peace. I think we came at the right time! Let’s see what happens. Isn’t

she wonderful?”

“Yes, she is amazing and loving!” Peace replied.

The Queen invited them in and gazed at them with loving and caring eyes. “As you may

know, the King is very, very busy, but go ahead and explain your problem with a clear and

open heart. He will understand.”

“Thank you very much Your Majesty!” Peace said.

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“You are welcome, Peace. Now, please follow me. And don’t be afraid because I am with you.”

Then the Queen opened the shiniest and purest crystal door they had ever seen. A light

brighter than the sun welcomed them. The Queen announced Hope and Peace to the

King. They both were speechless and amazed to see the King face-to-face.

“So, my Peace and Hope, what brings you here to see me today?”

“Your Majesty, Peace comes from below the clouds and I really want to help her.”

“I see. And how do you want to help?”

“I want to go back with her.”

“Well, Hope, I admire your courage, but it’s not that easy. Things are getting more

complicated down there and it could be extremely dangerous for you. What are you

planning to do to make things better?”

“Well, I want to bring hope to everyone by letting them know that there are better ways

to live, as we do here, with respect, love and compassion. I really don’t understand how

things can get that bad. Besides, I want to see it for myself.”

“Hope, I know you are a beautiful and amazing creature, and I know how enchanting and

charming it can be just seeing you. But you really don’t know what you could be facing.

For so long, people have been closing their hearts to all the blessings and advice I have

given them. Some of them don’t even believe in me, thinking they don’t need my help and

that no one should tell them what to do.”

With tears in her eyes, Peace sadly looked at Hope and softly said, “Thank you very

much, Your Majesty, for your time and wise words. I think it will be better for me to go

back by myself.”

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Hope humbly looked at the King and said, “Please Your Majesty, there must be a way!”

The King responded to Hope’s compassionate plea. “Hope, your love and faith are strong,

and I give you my blessing to go with Peace, but you cannot go alone. You will need seven

very special gifts that will give you all you need for this critical and challenging Mission.”

“You will need Strength.” And the King called the amazing “Captain Eagle.”

“You will need Wisdom.” And the King called the wise “Sir Owl.”

“You will need Piety.” And the King called the beautiful “Mrs. Swan.”

“You will need Knowledge.” And the King called the graceful “Young Toucan.”

“You will need Good Counsel.” And the King called the “Cheerful Parrot.”

“You will need Understanding.” And the King called the smart “Miss Seagull.”

“Most definitely, you will need the awareness to know that ‘I am who I am,’ all powerful.”

And the King called “Mr. Cardinal” as a reminder that, no matter how small a creature

is, everything can be done by the grace and power of the Almighty. Finally, the King said,

“Now, you have a huge shield and all my support. However, you still need the loving and

caring blessing of our Queen.”

Happy and thankful, Hope approached the Queen, hovered under her beautiful hands,

and received a very special blessing. The Queen kissed Hope’s head, covering him with the

exquisite perfume of roses. “Hope, we are so proud of you! You are really our HOPE, and

I admire your courage and perseverance. Now you are covered with our LOVE. But one

more thing, you will need something very important that you can never forget – FAITH.”

Suddenly, a very sweet and charming Firefly came and in a peaceful and soft voice said, “I

am Lady Faith. Do not worry. I will be next to you all the time, especially in the darkest

moments. I will guide you.” Hope felt overwhelmed by these blessings and, in a soft voice,

said, “Thank you very much. I promise I will do my best to be successful on this special

Mission.”

Peace was so happy. “It is hard to believe. I really could not even imagine that so much

good and love existed. I want to be part of your family.”

With a sparkle in His eyes, the King said, “Peace, you are our family and are always

welcome in our Kingdom. Now, Hope and Peace, you are on a very special Mission and

Faith is with you.

Captain Eagle approached the King and Queen with reverence, lifted his head and,

spreading his strong wings, said, “Your Majesty, I am honored to be a part of this unique

Mission and I will protect everybody under my wings and give them all the strength to be

successful. Now, follow me!”

So, they flew under the blue sky for days, talking and learning from each other. When

they entered the clouds, Sir Owl said in a commanding voice, “It will be wise to land on

the highest mountain we can find.” Then, with his wide eyes open, he guided everybody to

the highest mountain where they spent the night. Sir Owl said, “Before we go to sleep, we

have to thank our King and Queen for their blessings and help, which allowed us to arrive

safely; tomorrow, before dawn, we will wake up with a positive attitude and start planning

our visit to this land.”

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Mrs. Swan sang gently, “Good night, sleep well, and you will see the glory of our Kingdom

when the sun lights up the land. Now, let’s pray that everybody’s heart will receive the

HOPE, FAITH and LOVE they need to be joyful again.” They all closed their eyes and fell

asleep, exhausted from the long trip. Everything was dark, except for the tiny light of Lady

Faith and the distant moon and stars that decorated the sky.

Early in the morning, at sunrise, Young Toucan, in a joyful voice, woke everybody up.

“Good morning, everyone. It’s time to be thankful for a new day! And it’s time to start

planning our work as a team by reminding ourselves of our individual responsibilities. We

have to start with a positive and friendly attitude. But remember, we also have to be aware

of the big dangers that exist in this land.”

And Cheerful Parrot said, “Good morning, everyone! Young Toucan is right. As you can

see, things are not that clear here because the clouds cover so many areas, and it is hard to

see where we should start. It will be helpful for Peace to guide us to where we should go

because she knows this place.”

So Peace responded, “Well, let me start by telling you that we have to pass the forest. Try

to eat something on the way. Then we will find the city where I come from. We will go

to a hill called Tepeyac. Years ago, a wonderful miracle happened there. Now we will see

a beautiful Basilica and a very big plaza. Many people still visit that place with so much

hope and faith. I think this is the best place to start since the people visiting the Basilica

usually are people of faith, open to receive blessings and understanding.”

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Then Miss Seagull chimed in excitedly, “I have heard about Our Lady of Guadalupe’s

miracles, and the beautiful, peaceful image of a loving and caring Mother who brings

everybody together.”

Captain Eagle replied, “So now, Peace, we will follow you. Lady Faith and Hope will be

next to you. Do not worry. I will cover you with my wings all the time and nothing and no

one will harm you. You are safe under my strong protection. I think Mr. Cardinal wants

to lead us to breakfast and I know everybody is hungry, but things are different here.

We have to be very careful what we eat because some of the trees, fruits and flowers are

contaminated and we could get sick.”

Sir Owl added, “It reminds me of the beginning of time, when God created everything and

warned the first couple, Adam and Eve, to avoid The Tree of Knowledge. He was very clear

in telling them not to eat that fruit. Unfortunately, they listened to the evil temptation

of the snake and since then, sadly, everything changed, as you can see. He always knows

what is best for us because He is omnipotent; we are His creatures. With Him everything

is possible.”

They entered the forest and carefully landed among different types of trees and flowers.

Then Sir Owl reminded them, “It will be wise to seek fresh fruit and running water.” They

saw a beautiful river, and though it wasn’t as crystal clear as the rivers they were used to,

the water looked clean enough to drink. It appeared to be the perfect place for breakfast.

They found some oranges, limes, and even a few mangos and different kinds of seeds.

So Miss Seagull said, “Everything looks and tastes different here. It seems not to have

enough flavor.”

In a sweet voice, Mrs. Swan said, “It is true, but we have to be very thankful that we found

food so quickly. Remember, we are on a Mission. Our trip is not for pleasure. Let’s go. It’s

time to follow Peace.

So they all followed Peace and Mr. Cardinal. They flew over the city, admiring many

buildings, monuments and highways. The streets were full of vehicles that caused much

noise and pollution. People rushed past each other. They were not smiling or friendly.

Finally, everyone landed safely on Tepeyac hill.

Once they were gathered together, Mr. Cardinal told them a wonderful story. “Many

years ago, our Queen visited this same place where she appeared to an Indian named

Juan Diego. She asked him to tell the bishop to build a beautiful Basilica in her honor.

It was to be a house of prayer, where she could love her children and help them in their

suffering and need. Juan Diego was so impressed by her love and beauty that he went

immediately to the bishop, but the bishop did not believe him. He thought it was Juan

Diego’s imagination. Even for Juan Diego, it was hard to believe so much beauty came with

the Queen - everything around her was so colorful. So the bishop asked for a sign, and our

Queen told Juan Diego to pick as many roses on the hill as he could. It seemed impossible

for the roses to be there, because it was the month of December, and he had never seen

roses growing on the hill during this season. But there they were, and he gathered them in

his tilma and went running back to see the bishop. As he dropped the roses on the floor,

everyone was surprised to see the beautiful image of our Queen imprinted on Juan Diego’s

tilma, a miracle that even today we admire as a testimony to all believers of the caring love

from our Queen for everybody.”

Hope added, excitedly, “Yes, when she gave me her blessing, I could feel her loving

protection, and she covered me with her love and the exquisite perfume of roses! It was

amazing to feel her sweet love.”

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Mr. Cardinal said, “Yes, Hope, this is a love that you cannot keep for your own. Now you

need to share it with everyone! Remember, the more you share your blessings, the more

they grow. You had the incredible courage to start this Mission and we are here to help

you, but you are the one bringing hope and love to everybody.”

“Lady Faith, you told me not to worry, and now I really want you to stay close to me,”

Hope said.

And Lady Faith answered, “I will guide you all the time and light up your way. Don’t be

afraid. Everything is going to be fine. God is always with us.”

Then Sir Owl said, “Yes, Hope, even in the worst situation, God will find the perfect

Divine Plan to be successful.”

“But, how can I know exactly what he wants me to do?”

“Well, let me tell you. Many years ago, humanity was far from God’s will, so He gave

Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai as the foundation for happiness in this life

and beyond.”

Hope eagerly said, “Please tell me more. I want to know them.”

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Mr. Owl listed the Ten Commandments as God had given them to Moses:

I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall have no other Gods before me.

Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

Honor thy father and mother.

Thou shall not kill.

Thou shall not commit adultery.

Thou shall not steal.

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

“It’s not that difficult to follow the Ten Commandments if you really love God and

everybody else. The Golden Rule says, ‘Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.’

But it seems that, for humanity, this has been very difficult to learn. In the beginning, there

was a time when everything was so bad that God decided to cover the world with water. He

told Noah to build an Ark and gather a pair of every kind of animal and his family into it.

It rained for forty days and nights. Peace finally came with a fresh olive leaf in her beak as a

sign that everything was renewed and they could start again, like a new beginning.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen again!”

“Well, the Lord sent a beautiful rainbow as His promise that He would not destroy the

world with water ever again.”

“So what can we do? How can we help? I really thought it was going to be easier!”

“Of course, it’s not that easy. Even the Angels cannot understand such divine mystery -

only our Lord Almighty, in His infinite wisdom can. He loves us so much that He even

sent His only Son to save us.

“But how?”

“Two thousand years ago, He sent the Archangel Gabriel, His messenger, to a beautiful

young maiden named Mary to give her the good news that she was chosen to be the

mother of His Son. Mary was so humble and had such a beautiful and pure heart that she

wanted to do only the Lord’s will. The baby was named Jesus and when He was born in

Bethlehem, all the Angels in Heaven sang joyfully. On Earth, some shepherds and even

three kings visited Him, bringing very special gifts. For thirty-three years, Jesus lived and

performed many miracles. He was the perfect example of what a human being should be.

Sadly, some didn’t believe or understand, and He died on the

cross for the salvation of all. By dying like that, with so much

suffering, He opened the doors of Heaven for all of us who

believe in Him. What a blessing to have such an incredible

Savior. He will come again to judge the living and the dead and

His Kingdom will have no end, but this time He will come with

all the Angels and Archangels. St. Michael, the Archangel, is

going to help Him in the battle against evil, and St. Rafael, the

Archangel is going to help Him heal everybody.”

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Mr. Cardinal added, “I think it’s time for us to visit the beautiful Basilica. We will be able

to understand what a magnificent treasure Jesus left us with the Church here on Earth.

Jesus died on the cross knowing that He needed to go to Heaven, but He really wanted to

stay with us in a very special way. So He left us the Church and the Eucharist. He went to

Heaven before His Mother Mary and promised her and His apostles that He was going to

send the Holy Spirit to tell them what to do. He wanted us to feel His love and protection

here on Earth through the Church and by having His Mother Mary also as our Mother.

“The apostles worked so hard to build the Church, obviously receiving help from Heaven,

Angels, and Archangels. They worked so hard, with so much love for God’s glory, that they

became saints. When we go to church, we cannot see them, but they are with us in spirit,

always praying for us and helping us to do God’s will. When Mary died, Jesus took her

body and soul straight to Heaven. All the Angels, Archangels and Saints celebrated, and

she became our Queen.

“Mary always takes good care of everyone and especially prays for us because she wants

everyone to go to Heaven. Since she went to Heaven, she has visited and appeared many

times in different, special places and countries, always with a message of HOPE and

PEACE, asking people to pray, repent and turn back to God. As a loving, merciful Mother,

she wants to save everyone. When she appeared in Fatima, Portugal, she wanted everybody

to pray the Rosary because she knew that very difficult times were coming - natural

disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis - like the ones that we are seeing now.”

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“Mr. Cardinal, how do you know so much?”

“Well, I love to read, and let me tell you the most important book is the Bible. In the Bible,

you will find the divinely inspired words of God and the life and teachings of Jesus. It is a

book that teaches us to learn from the past, be attentive in the present and have an idea of

the future that includes a new Heaven and a new Earth.”

Sir Owl said, “It is really very hard to understand so many mysteries.”

Then Captain Eagle interrupted, “It has been a very long day, and it is getting dark. Night

is falling. We better go back to the hill and try to eat something for dinner and go to sleep.”

Sir Owl added, “We have so much to learn and do if we really want to make things better.”

Early in the morning, they were excited to restart the incredible Mission, so they all

gathered together on Tepeyac Hill. Hope was extremely excited and joyfully said, “Look,

Peace, how far we have come. Now we are here to help you. I can’t wait to visit the city and

try to spread all the love and many blessings that I have received to everybody!”

Sir Owl had stayed awake all night, watching and planning. In the morning he announced,

“The most important thing to remember is that we are all messengers of HOPE, FAITH

and LOVE.”

Mrs. Swan, so joyful and excited, said in a loving voice, “We have to spread the word to all

the birds everywhere by singing.”

Young Toucan agreed, “Excellent idea. By singing, we will also bring positive vibrations

to everybody and we will be able to restore harmony with our message of HOPE, FAITH

and LOVE!!”

And Cheerful Parrot said, “We will also need help from all the flying creatures that bring

so much joy to those who see them, like ladybugs, bees and butterflies.”

Miss Seagull exclaimed, “Yes, butterflies are perfect examples of new life. It’s amazing how

beautiful they emerge from a caterpillar’s cocoon!”

Mr. Cardinal added, “This is getting exciting. Let’s get started. From the Basilica, we will

spread out in different directions.”

Captain Eagle, soaring high in the sky, said, “Enjoy the visit. I will be watching and protecting

everybody. Do not be afraid. Remember you are safe and protected under my wings!”

Hope joyfully said, “You see, Peace. You are not alone anymore, and now you will have

a whole army working together for this very important Mission. I can’t wait to spread

the amazing love and blessings that I have received. Now, like visiting the flowers in our

Kingdom, I will be visiting everybody all over the world.”

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Peace said, “Thank you very much, Hope.

Now I know your amazing courage and I

believe that when you say ‘all over the world,’

you really mean it. I am so proud of you and

we will fly together.”

They all went in different directions and

realized that almost everything needed to be

renewed. They started singing joyfully, and

all that harmony created beautiful and strong

vibrations everywhere they went. Hope and

Peace told the ladybugs, bees and butterflies

about their amazing plan, and they were so

happy to be an important part of this Mission.

They visited parks, schools, hospitals, shelters,

orphanages, amusement parks, shopping

centers, museums, monuments, churches,

houses and buildings; everywhere they

went, people could feel and sense something

different and beautiful in the atmosphere. Even

people walking on the streets or delayed by

terrible traffic were impressed to notice that

people were happier and helping each other.

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There was less violence. It seemed that everything was being renewed, like an eternal

spring. Beautiful rainbows, trees and flowers were blooming in such a marvelous way -

shining in perfect harmony again.

Hope reassured Peace. “Everything started with your tears, suffering and sadness, and

look how happy you are now.”

“Yes, Hope. Thank you very much for all your help, first giving me water from that

beautiful fountain and then your amazing courage to start this unbelievable Mission.”

Peace thanked everybody. She flew happily in the blue sky, admiring the beauty of a whole

new world. She spread her wings and, at that moment, Heaven and Earth were united in

perfect peace and harmony. The gates of Heaven opened and all could see the impressive

beauty of the Kingdom of Heaven, where the King and Queen joyfully received everybody

in an amazing celebration of perfect PEACE and LOVE.

Suddenly, a beautiful rainbow covered all the Earth, and the whole planet became radiant

and colorful, just as it is in Heaven.

They All Lived Happily Ever After

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THE END

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

— Reinhold Niebuhr

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