It is admittedly disappointing that it is nearing the end of April and we have 6 inches of snow on the ground. Just when the rain had begun to wash it all away, the snow came back with a vengeance. And while I wish I could be running outside and taking pleasant walks in the neighborhood every day, I have also felt a surprising savoring feeling toward these last snowfalls - making roasted chicken in our dutch oven, drinking tea, and cuddling up with SB under a stack of blankets. None of these activities will suit the summer, so I might as well enjoy them now.
That being said, this winter has in many ways been a rough one, and I am looking forward to sunnier days. My job has been in limbo for more than 6 months, and morale in the office is at an all-time low, with weekly updates complete with vague org charts and timelines and also updates about staff who have chosen to leave the organization for new positions. And all of the recent events in the news - I've seen images and videos of terror that I just can't shake.
It is crazy to live in a time where everyone records history on their phone and all angles of an event can be seen through these types of lenses. I saw the video a man took on his phone in TX, of the fertilizer plant on fire, and he was saying that he expected the building to collapse, but instead, in an instant, the plant exploded and while he was miles away the force of the explosion reached his truck in an instant, knocked the truck over, and his poor young daughter was screaming that she couldn't hear from the sound of the blast. She recovered her hearing, but the terror in that video is now etched in my brain. It was INSANE to see the explosion, almost like an atom bomb, cover that ground in a half second.
Anyway, may brighter days, and warmer days, be on the horizon. I have appreciated the nerdy quote from Fred Rogers that became viral post-Boston marathon bombing, and think it can be an important message in times like these -
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
