Grandchildren

The crocus are up and the daffodils are thinking about it. My heart would soar with that, but added to my joy is the fact that this is a grandchildren week! We are excited to spend time with the grandchildren and are grateful for a circle of life which includes many generations. (OK, 3)

Spring

The winter was long and hard but the spring promises to be gorgeous. We probably enjoy the lilacs and daffodils more after our monochrome season. This morning I awoke to about an inch of new snow but am confident that it will shortly melt away. The daffodils are probably a little confused because they've waited so long to send up their efforts.

Spring is my favorite season of the year with all the new plants with their riot of color and all the new animal babies, both wild and domestic. I haven't seen any turkey babies but the evidence is the adults. Guess I'll keep watching.

SNOW

In YDKJ, the snow comes to tidy everything up. All the horror that existed is covered with a white blanket. It makes a beautiful picture for several months and then comes the thaw. while we may tire of the snow, we often overlook the challenges that come when the blanket is taken away. We must deal with, in addition to many other things, mud. I suppose there's an allegory here.

Investigations

When things go wrong in a society, there are usually many agencies involved. I recently learned how our rural community handles a major crime, such as a homicide. We are small and no one agency can be all things. But, there is an agreement in effect that the District Attorney is in charge and also that each agency will work to its strengths. We don't have crack forensic teams or homicide detectives for whom this sort of thing would be routine. Each agency has areas of expertise and the DA can coordinate that. Usually, however, the investigators already know what they do well and where they need help. The best part of all is that we seldom need to know any of this.

The Invincible Summer

Each of us has, according to Albert Camus, an invincible summer. The quote, which is translated variously, is: "It was in the midst of winter that I discovered in me an invincible summer."

We will have tremendous challenges as we muddle our way through life. It's the nature of life to be filled with both joy and despair. One of our main goals as we live it should be to find a middle road.

We enjoy the blissful joy but not the despair. Yet, would we enjoy the former so much if we did not know the latter? I'll not say that I enjoy the "winter" but I will say that I understand why we have it. I will also say that I'm supremely grateful to have discovered my own "invincible summer".

The family unit is so important. Everyone knows that it comes in all shapes and sizes. Not all families, however, are created equally. A child born to a meth-addict mother does not have a level playing field with someone like my granddaughters who are born to caring and conscientious adults.

We as a society need to strengthen families. I don't know how, but we cannot countenance this continued disintegration of the family. Not to belabor the fact that I have a completed manuscript, but a family disintegration is detailed, step-by-step, in it.

I find it horrifying.

Weather is an interesting part of life. Snowfall is used in YDKJ as a symbol of cleansing. As I look out the window this morning at the newest white "gift" I'm thinking that I'm a little tired of snow.

Living rurally as we do, we are responsible for snow removal and/or storage. Right now the berms on the side are so high that it's nearly impossible for my plow to throw it up and over. That either means that we have enough snow or we're going to have to bring in some heavy equipment.

Interestingly, all the parents who live nearby manage to help their children make it to school, work, sports, and church. They just rachet up their responsibility quotient and get the job done.

It's nice to be associated with people who take their responsibilities so seriously.