At the end of the week...

This has been a long, long week.  A long week for our state, our country and our world, and the fallout from the week's events will continue in the weeks to come.  On Monday...the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  Days later, massive explosion, devastation and loss of life at a small town here in Texas. Earthquakes in several locations, with numerous casualties.  A manhunt in Boston leading to the death of one suspect and the capture of the other.  And here we are at the end of the week, almost numb from the onslaught of horrifying news on top of horrifying news.

I am old enough to remember the times before the instantaneous spread of news via social media, internet connections, and smart phones.  I remember having to wait for the evening news, or for the newspaper to arrive in the morning to get the latest information.  Now, there is no escaping the barrage of information, and the horrific detail - and I, for one, have had to choose occasionally to turn off the television because the overload is just too much to bear.  I know I am not alone in this.  It is not that my heart does not ache for the  horror that occurs in the world - it is that my heart aches too much, and I have to remind myself that there is still beauty in our world.

On Wednesday, I walked down the sidewalk to the bridge over the bayou.  I checked on the red-tailed hawk's nest, and there she was, guarding two chicks.  Life perpetuating itself.  And back up the hill to the climbing vines covering the lattice "walls" of our outdoor classroom - blooming where planted. Hope...