Random Ideas and Musings

I wish I was a funny writer. Thinking can be funny - I particularly like to think of funny things. Sometimes I believe I can actually feel the funny part of my brain enjoying the humor. Garrison Keillor is a funny writer. He is funnier in his writing than in person. Strangely, many people take his writing seriously and then get all pissed off with him. Enjoy the fun. Relax.

So last night there was some drama at my house. The weather was sunny but the clouds were rolling in. My bf came over for dinner and I was waiting for my daughter to return from work. It starting looking a little ominous outside and the sirens went off so I called my daughter. She was walking home and had taken refuge in a bus shelter. I set off to pick her up. She was about one mile away. The weather turned terrible in a matter of seconds. The wind picked up and the visibility went down to about 5 feet. It started raining and then hailing... hard. Large sticks and debris flew in front of the car. I was afraid for my life but I realized I had to get my daughter. I kept driving and praying. My hands gripped the wheel. Finally I got to the bus shelter and she ran out to the car. We drove home. The hail was pouring down, the car was sliding on the hail as if it were ice. The wind was really strong. We made it home and the yard was white, covered with hail. The bf and his son greeted us with concern and happiness. All was well.

Then I remembered what I had done just a few hours earlier. I carefully planted the seedlings that I had started inside about 6 weeks ago. I planted some organic heirloom tomato and brocolli plants. The garden bed was now covered in pea sized hail. I was crushed! Life that I had nurtured was gone. In the morning I checked the damage. One plant survived. The others were gone - no evidence was visible of their existence. Then of course I thought of the poor farmers and all of the people who had gone through real distaster and devastation in the past year. My sad little plants had lost their lives - but the effect on my life was tiny. I had a little part of my heart broken, but it has healed. There will be other plants.

How do people survive real loss and tradgedy? How can they believe that things will be okay?