Hope

I don't know about you but did you ever get the feeling this year that winter would never end? Maybe it's just due to the fact that I'm getting older, but here in the northeast it sure seemed like a long, long winter. I got mighty sick of having to watch my step for fear of slipping on the ice every time I ventured outdoors. And driving was particularly hazadous not only because the roads were treacherous, but the snow banks were so high in many places you couldn't see around them. Everywhere you went people complained about the weather and more folks than I can count, including my own son, said they were seriously thinking of selling everything and moving to Florida. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the general tempo of the country was pretty depressing, too, considering our national debt, high unemployment, and the really horrendous rise in gasoline prices.

So many really dire problems face our nation today and can they be solved? Who knows? I don't think anyone is too optimistic that things are going to turn around anytime soon. But I personally experienced a small miracle when finally the show melted and the first brave little buds poked their heads out of the soil. I don't think I'm a Pollyanna (well, not exactly), but suddenly my own little world took on a kind of sheen, and I felt light and happy and ready for fun. Sure, we've still got problems, but I firmly believe our elected officials, of both parties, are trying their best to solve them. And certainly the capture and death of Osama bin Laden was a shot in the arm for all those who lost loved one in the World Trade Center catastrophe almost ten years ago; we can all feel proud that justice was finally done. So I'm filled with hope and resolution to try, in my own little way, to make this world a better place now that spring is here. Can a few daffodils and tulips work that kind of magic? In my case the answer seems to be a resounding--YES!