It's been so long since I posted in here, I've almost forgotten how....There are so many things to say, I don't even know where to start.
     Holidays; an equal dose of sadness and happiness all on one plate.  For those who have lost family, be they two or four legged, and/or friends, this isn't the most wonderful time of the year.  For those of us lucky enough to still have those loved ones near, it's an easier time to endure. 
      There are those of us that stand in the middle of these two choices, we've lost and we've loved and the holidays bring all those emotions to the forefront.  How we handle this conflict allows us to take measure of ourselves.  There are far too many examples of those that cannot bear to face their own frailties, just listen to the news and watch as the shock and sorrow play across the faces of the world.  Most of us have some kind of built in right and wrong system that rises and falls as the need arises. 
      So, who and what have failed those that cannot cope?  What have we lost or not searched for in our fellow humans that their scream for help, somewhere along the line, was not heard?   Have we stopped listening?  Are we all so busy with the chores of life that our compassion has been slid under the carpet? 
        I have no answer, I have briefly stood in the space where my anger almost ruled my world and the desire to punish anyone was first in my mind.  Somehow, I was able to resist, I could have been one of these tortured souls that are dominating the news these days.  Do each of us have the ability to do this?  Please understand, I'm not bragging by any means, I strive to understand how we got here.  Perhaps we all need to take a few moments each day to gather ones' wits and be thankful not to be in that space of grayness that begins to blur the edges of our reason.