Two dear friends who are supporting Sen. Clinton sent me notes yesterday that began with the words "I am afraid..." and "I have a worry..." Two weeks ago, a Clinton leaning, "Meet the Press" pundit, when asked at a private event to give advice to young people, said "I have two words: Patience and Forbearance." These dark observations, that tracked Sen. Clinton's fear laden pre-Iowa campaign, kept me tossing during the night.

Their fears are heartfelt and reflect those of the Rev. Kit Ketcham who yesterday blogged:

"....I came to the startling realization that I am afraid to hope, in this election. I would never have thought of myself as a person who is afraid to hope. I want with all my heart to buy into the dream that is Barack Obama as President. I realized that what was holding me back is the fear that the dream will be destroyed."

Now in my own sixth decade of living, I fully understand the fears. I know how life experience can drive us to seeing the world in dystopian terms.

But I reject that dark view. Like Sen. Obama, I am a "hopemonger." I see no reason why we cannot overcome the past and reach for a better world.

Almost forty years ago, Graham Nash wrote in the final stanza of his loving generational song, that our then young generation must "Teach your parents well, and feed them on your dreams, The one they picks the one you'll know by."

Forty years later, we are the parents, and our kids have this one right.

We all should listen to them and chose hope.