What a strange week. I can’t recall a time when the contrasts between hate and beauty, fear and hope were so stark.

The media swirls with stories of hate. We anxiously await stories from Boston, fearing for our friends and hoping all stay safe, that there is no more loss of life. The prayers we share and the acts of kindness to those in need show the beauty of humanity. The horrible acts of violence show hate that is hard for most of us to fathom.

Outside, the world world couldn’t be more alive. Alight with color, beauty, hope. A reminder of the resilience of life. Like the first shoots of green that emerge from the frosty, brown ground- we will emerge with light, love, and hope. That is the reassurance I cling to today. While my friends in Boston sit on lock down in their houses, I am off to promote a Moon Walk for breast cancer. It’s all so strange.

Take a break from reading stories of suspects and manhunts, and remember there is good and beauty.

Speaking of beauty, I can’t forget the beauty of friendship. There are many people I love who live in Boston. And I am ashamed to say, I am painfully out of touch with most of them. I don’t even have most of their phone numbers, having lost them with my phone in the back of a taxi. In this day and age, with so many ways to stay in touch, there is no excuse for me. I can see good coming out of this tragedy: me reconnecting with friends, people who still hold an important place in my heart. Do they know that? Probably not, I certainly wasn’t thinking about it a week ago.
My heart aches with this realization. Should any of you read this, friends, please know I am thinking of you and missing you oh so very much. Please. And even though you have been out of my life recently, I can not bare the thought of loosing you. That feeling is so clear. Eye opening.

It feels good to speak from the heart. A little dramatic? Perhaps. That’s typical me. But perhaps not, considering the circumstances.

Stay safe. Stay hopeful. Remember the good. Enjoy life, enjoy the weekend.