The Value of Wait and Hope

During this crisis, we have ample free time. We can read, watch movies, or simply spend hours with family or friends in isolation. 

One movie or book that might help ease some of the tension is The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a classic story set in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815–1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. It tells the tale of Edmond Dantès, who, on his wedding day, was wrongfully charged with a crime. Innocent, yet convicted, Dantès spends his prison hours pining for his freedom and the woman he loves.

As the years mount, depression sinks in. He is ready to give up when Abbé Faria (“The Mad Priest”) tunnels into his cell as he’s planning his escape. Over the next eight years, Faria teaches Edmond lessons about a variety of topics, including mathematics, culture, and language. On Faria’s death bed, he tells Dantès the location of a secret treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. After Faria’s death, Dantès finally engineers his escape and ultimately heads back to the island, claims the treasure, and becomes the Count. 

On the island of Monte Cristo, Dantès reveals the exact sequence of events. Having found peace, he now leaves the newly reunited couple part of his fortune and departs for an unknown destination to find comfort and a new life with Haydée, who has declared her love for him. The reader and viewer is left with a final thought:

Many of us have suffered severe hardships as a result of this pandemic. We might soon be getting some relief in the form of checks to help ease our pain. Regardless, we need to make sure we follow the Count’s advice that wisdom comes from two words: Wait and Hope. 

We need to be wise with our allocation of funds, as if we have been anticipating this moment. We then must hope this financial windfall can sustain us until we breakthrough, until our lives come back to as normal as can be expected. Don’t waste this opportunity, don’t be foolish with this one moment of pleasure. Think long term. Think long and hard about every dollar you plan to spend today. 

Don’t rush — and remember, wisdom comes from wait and hope. Use both wisely. 

P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story. Author Christie Watson spent twenty years as a nurse, and in this intimate, poignant, and remarkably powerful book, she opens the doors of the hospital and shares its secrets. Watson takes us by her side down hospital corridors to visit the wards and meet her unforgettable patients. 

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