A good case for optimism

There's no room to gainsay the myriads of evidence out of doors --- anyone with a minimum of observation powers will bear me out. There's green in our cover crop on the small acreage adjacent to our lawn, which itself is unquestionably changing from beige to fresh green.

Birds send up their shrill cacophony announcing their arrival from their winter homes (which had brought them the misery of undue severe freezing cold). Days when the temperature approaches 50 degrees we forget our jackets and walk the dogs in the overarching bright sunlight, our steps quick and eager to go. Surely Spring cannot be too far down the pike.

This old carcass, approaching fourscore and seven years in length, had a moderate illness checked out, with favorable results offered to this grateful soul --- no evidence of malignancy or significant cardiovascular disease! Certainly the Lord has been good to His servant by taking some of the slings and arrows of older age, allowing gratitude to replenish one's spirit.

So, can one's noticing the perennial changing of the seasons, viewed and experienced with relationship to one's personal well-being, be extrapolated to the state of the union --- or our neighbors of the world? One's outlook and attitude can indeed be a contagious fact of being. We have problems, but we have always solved them in the past because we are strong. If we keep remembering that we are Americans first --- party affiliation last, we will come through --- we always have, no matter what. If it's gold we seek, let it be of the Olympian variety. We can compete with our peers in peace and amity.

We may well think ahead and employ the utmost in diplomacy to avoid war and its hellish offspring, fear and hatred, without reason or discourse. Hope lives right next door to faith and charity --- love thy neighbor!