ray of hope

John Authers is the Investment Editor of the Financial Times. His February 20 2009 'The Long View' column was titled: 'Dividends retain a ray of hope for investors'. This column can be found on the Financial Times site, using their search engine. I've read the column many times already and I keep finding more in it. For instance, from 1933 to 1936, US dividends rose by 17% a year. If that's not a ray of hope, what is. We need reasons to hold or stocks, as Mr Buffet does through “thick and thin”, especially right now, as life insurance stock prices are tanking (March 6 2009). I'm glad I kept some cash in reserve.