Somewhere... someone was diagnosed with cancer. Somebody was killed in an automobile accident. A young man contracted HIV. Someone was fired from their job. A teenage girl got pregnant. Somewhere a wife found out her husband was cheating on her. A teenager ran away from home. A family watched their house burn down. A child's puppy was struck by a car. A soldier was killed. A boy had his heart broken. Someone lost their last dollar in a casino. A man held his wife's hand in the Intensive Care Unit for the last time. A grocery store clerk was held up at gun point. A young woman miscarried. A man said goodbye to the grandfather who raised him. A child was abducted. Somewhere, a heroin addict overdosed for the last time. An angry man murdered his wife. A woman found a lump in her breast. A man was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life. A drunk picked up his car keys...
All these things happened somewhere in the world...to people just like me. Maybe right next door. Maybe right this minute. I am stunned.
Desperately searching for some glimmer of hope I realize that in this very same year... A baby was born. A young couple got married. A lost kitten was found. Proud parents watched their youngest child graduate from high school. Someone got a promotion. Another won the lottery. A teenage boy bought his first car. A young woman discovered that after years of trying, she was finally pregnant. A doctor told a worried family that the operation was a success. A young woman had flowers delivered to her door. Two childhood friends took off on a trip to Greece. A singer had a #1 hit. A child was returned to his mother. A mortgage application was approved. A dentist informed a 5 year old that he didn't have any cavities, and a 10th grade girl was asked to the prom.
I ponder the wonder of it all and I'm left with just one lingering thought. I must have WAY too much time on my hands.
Happy New Year! May 2011 bring joy, happiness, peace and love!
