Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and
circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of
despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance — i.e.,
believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even
when there is some evidence to the contrary.  Beyond the basic
definition, usage of the term hope follows some basic patterns
which distinguish its usage from related terms: - To wish for
something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled.  -
Hopefulness is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is
an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached
through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive
attitude. But hope and optimism both can be based in unrealistic
belief or fantasy. - When used in a religious context, hope
carries a connotation of being aware of spiritual truth; see
Hope (virtue). - In Catholic theology, hope is one of the three
theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity), which are
spiritual gifts of God. In contra