Choosing Wonder

I'm not the first, and surely not the last, to feel somewhat at a loss for words over the events of last week. It's so hard to understand any sort of random violence, but it becomes even less comprehensible when that violence is directed at children. My heart is sore for all of the families involved. I spent plenty of time over the past several days feeling as if the spark of life was being smothered with a dreary wet blanket. At some point, however, I decided that those feelings were a way of letting the bad guys win.

If violence and terror are used as a way to lash out at the world the best response must be to react with joy. Now, I'm not advocating we be in any way happy about terrible events. I am not crazy enough to pull that off. I still grieve for all the losses. But I have to choose to celebrate life as well. There is beauty all around us. Even in the midst of tragedy there were stories of courage, of friendship, of love. So while I will remember these tragedies, and will support legislation that I believe will help prevent more from happening, I will otherwise choose to move forward.

It's too easy, especially in our media-saturated culture, to dwell on the negative. To turn tragedies into soap operas. To immortalize the criminal instead of the victims. I choose instead to dwell on the small and beautiful things that happen everyday.

It snowed yesterday morning. It didn't last long, but it was beautiful. It made everything look newly painted and clean.

(Not my house, but lovely, yes?)

My son insisted that our bunnies needed their own Christmas stocking, so yesterday I made them a little stocking they can eat come Christmas. Santa will stuff it full of hay on Christmas Eve, I'm sure.

Speaking of bunnies, they've had their first vet appointment and grown so much bigger! Here's Zoey:

And Otter chowing down on some carrot tops:

And no list of amazing things would be complete without Max. Here he is proudly showing off the edible Christmas tree he made at school. Moments before devouring it with Aria. 

Even in the face of dark days there are examples of wonder all around us. What wonderful thing happened in your life this week?

TTFN!

Cady