This is the BBC World Service. I am Santa Safi and welcome to World of Wisdom,

the place where we explore some of the personal issues that life turns up.

These have been a tough couple of years for most people,

and those who are about to set out into adult life

or who are building a family of their own have seen that precious commodity of optimism take hit after hit.

Leang from China, now living in New Zealand, wrote to us about hope.

She was finding it hard to keep hope alive for her children.

The way the pandemic seemed to stop the world from turning has made her fears about the future of the environment seem very real. We brought her together with Reverend Cannon Umpetutu Van Firth, a Christian pastor from Cape Town, South Africa.

Here is a shortened version of the discussion they had.

I have two daughters. One is four and half and another one she was born in June this year. Sometimes I put both of them to bed at night and I look at them sleeping and they look so sweet.

But I fear for the future because I think I read news and of course climate change conflicts in the world and of course this

pandemic there are moments I had a feeling that with all the uncertainty

maybe having kids it's something not right or not the

wisest decision I've made I guess it's not about the regrets having children, it's about how to prepare

my kids for the future, which I think every parent probably have that thought, that state

in the back of their head. And also, and also despite the fear and uncertainty how can we continue to hope for better? I can imagine that that feels like a real weight on the heart that you know

have I done the right thing. How did the pandemic affect your thinking?

I think the fear shifted during different stages. Now we know more about it.

I feel like we can do better, prepare ourselves.

I feel like the impact will be ongoing so I'm just trying to face it in my the best possible way during different stages as the pandemic continue. But my husband the other night told me,

so far all pandemics end. So that sounds pretty positive.

That's lovely.

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