Thinking about hope... and weekends...




Well, yesterday's post, as dismal as it was, did not hold true--mostly. The roads were fine (though my driveway was a mess), the road to work was clear where I had to get through, and they didn't shut off the water for the school end of things. Amen.

I did not end up getting a hair cut either, though--no parking spaces. We have a bit of a midday parking crisis in town, and unfortunately, I could not find one single spot. So, I rescheduled. Bummer. But that's pretty minor. 

Poor Holly has a hole in the toe of her boot. Thus, her foot/sock got soggy, and by the time I picked her up, the wet wool+ sweaty feet= stink was a factor. She got in the bath at 3:00. Then we did a cocoa, muffin, story time and all was well. She truly is a lovely kid, even if she is a bit hard on her clothes. In the meantime, Memere to the rescue: I ordered some new boots to get us through the rest of the winter. Those should be here on Saturday. 

Speaking of which, Holly has basketball on Saturday morning! And I have a meeting with a couple of people to talk about the connections between faith and the willingness to give, or something of that sort. I'm intrigued. I'll have to keep you posted on that one, after the fact. 

And yes, I'll have a metric ton of papers to grade, groceries to buy, and so on... weekends? Dame Maggie Smith, in her portrayal of the matriarch of Downton Abbey said it best: "What is a week-end?" 

And the football playoffs continue. I'm told I am one of only six who participated in the fun football pool at school who are still in it. Go figure. I am not holding my hopes too high-- Patriots have to play a very tough team (Houston). But it's enough for me that they didn't bow out in the first round. O heck, that they even made it to playoffs. It's never been all that easy being a New England sports fan-- those teams know how to break your heart. But I'm loyal. We need heroes, and if we can find it, even temporarily, in a fresh-faced kid who slings the ball well and runs for downs...so be it. 

My focus on hope is getting pretty narrow. It's concerning: I used to have great hope for the world, for positive action on climate, health, world hunger... you name it. If we believed in what we could do for others, and worked hard to make a positive change, then we could make a difference. 

Nowadays, it's keep your head down and hope you are not in the sights of those firing guns into cars. 

I still hope for small graces and mercies, and I hope to be a part of making things easier or more accessible for as many people as possible. Hoping for something for myself feels really selfish when there are thousands-- millions-- living in fear, who suffer illness, confusion, and desperation on the hour. It's enough to get through the day unscathed, to have my family around me, and a roof over my head. 

If there is one thing I am truly angry about is the way that my scope and scale of hopefulness has been taken away. Hold your loved ones close. Be the change the world needs. 

C


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