Everything is so fraught with meaning these days. While I am processing recent events, I at least have access to some words.  I am grateful for:

• the first truly warm day after a cold and unforgiving spring
• a track meet filled with happy, cheering teens
• schools with dedicated principals, athletic directors and teachers who carved out the time and money to create an interscholastic special olympics team that competed on fields among lots of other typical sports teams on this brilliant day
• the incredible young woman who chased our boy for 800 meters so that he could make good time in his race (until he swallowed a bug and then walked part of the way until he could sprint, triumphant, for the last 100 meters)
• the teammates on this yellow bus who waved at our boy through the windows on the highway as we made our way home, and
• the snapping flag at half mast that says that while life has gone on we stand strong in our support for those who still suffer from the wounds of last week.

Never underestimate the power of sunshine and smiles.