Reasons to Hope

Recent insights from a week away:

--I saw an older man cooking two hot dogs on a grill, and at first I was sad.  Then I decided to see it as one of the most perfect expressions of love that I had seen lately.

--Similarly, I've seen gatherings of humans on the beach at early hours to watch the sun rise.  The planet puts on a good show, and I am heartened at how many people get up to see it.  If I had to argue for the redemption of humanity, for reasons to love humans, I'd use this fact.

--If you put vegetation back onto dunes, and if you do more than give the dunes sea oats, you'll get deer.  I understand all the reasons that people see deer as a curse more than a promise.  But seeing my fellow humans captivated by early morning sightings of deer made me happy this week.

--I am happy that more 12 -15 year olds will be vaccinated soon.  I'm happy to see those shots going into younger arms.

--I am afraid that we are loosening up on masking and distancing too early, right about the time that the virus variant from India will come crashing to our U.S. shores.  Why can't we learn from the mistakes that other nations have made?

--Let me return to earlier reflections.  Let me remember what I have seen that gives me hope.  I have seen young fathers and mothers who are involved with their children, couples who appear to be equally involved with child rearing.  I have seen older generations interacting kindly with their grandchildren.  I know that I should be able to take these things for granted, but I don't.  

--It is almost time for another walk to watch the sun come up, an event that happens every morning, but rarely fails to fill me with wonder.   

Update:

I forgot to mention what fun we've had doing music bingo and name that tune all week.  Yesterday's crowd was the biggest ever, and I want to remember people of all ages, remembering/singing all sorts of songs from the 70's and 80's, even the young teenage boys whose parents may not have been born when those songs first came out.  But they knew a lot of the songs.  Young teenage boys singing "Let It Be"--a reason for hope.

And the sunrise, each day; here's today's capture: