It's not explicitly plot-important; it's just subtly fitting (and her descriptions are better than mine), and much of the connection has come up in the story already.

In the same way that "the unexpected" was a major recurring theme in Expecting, "hope" is a major recurring theme in The Thing With Feathers. Keep an eye out for references, in chapters already posted as well as those to come. (Or, to put it another way, every time the word "hope" is used, take a shot.)