Many of us have known moments of true anguish and hopelessness during the course of our lives. This week's essayist, Heather Sullivan, reflects on the possibility of hope, compassion and kindness during those harsh times when we are steeped in despair. 

Heather Sullivan is a writer, poet, and teacher who lives in Middletown, Rhode Island. She has written for the Block Island Poetry Project, The RI Writers' Circle, The Providence Journal, and She Shines Magazine, among others. Her poetry is forthcoming in the Newport Roundtable's Walls and Bridges Anthology.