Equalizing Bad News

These days, the adult world is filled with disbelief and sorrow. The internet and the news is ballooning with updates and details of the horrific shooting in Connecticut. The madness is contagious, it spreads and spreads, people are angry, blaming guns, blaming government, blaming laws, blaming the system, blaming the shooter...and it continues. How could this have happened? The question lingers and lingers and we cling to the news in search of a reasonable answer.

I decided to put my fingers in my ears, and sing la, la, la, la, la, la! I've decided to return to the kid's world of anticipating Santa's arrival, shiny trees and holiday parties with neighbors and to leave the horrific adult world out of my house and my mind. Is it denial or lack of compassion? I don't think so. It's choosing to stop spreading the bad news. I heard it once. I cried for the families. And now it's time to return to joy, to equalize the negative energy in this world with positivity and love.

Last night, we were invited to a neighbor's house a party. Our hosts, Jeff and Karissa, hung a festive balloons from their ceiling, offered a mountain of food, poured wine generously, hired a balloon artist, and even took apart their bedroom to set up a bouncy castle for the kids. We were happily crowded together carving out spaces to sit on the stairs and all the kids were unbelievably well behaved. Everyone was so happy to see each other, having been cooped up indoors since October and missing our daily sidewalk chit-chats. I got teary-eyed for a moment, thinking of all the places I have lived where neighbors hardly make eye contact when you greet them. I was so grateful for the wonderful community that lives around me; neighbors who actually love to be together.

Surrounding ourselves with good people, that is the way to possibly soften, a tiny bit, the atrocity in Connecticut. To remember, that our true nature is to be loving, caring people.