June 2017

So where are we? Summer is slow to start here in New Hampshire. It has been cold and wet, and field work is starting to fall behind. These same conditions have given all the green growing things a boost: fruit trees, flowers, grass. 

But far from the borders of my little paradise, terrorism, fanaticism, nationalism vie for attention in the news. They all boil down to a pathological hate, a hate so powerful that suicide bombings, the collateral deaths of civilians, the murder of people who are different, have become acceptable tools of propaganda. 

The only defense from the madness is to not fall into its mire. Remain calm. Seek beauty. You do not have to love your neighbor, but you should at least be able to get along. Work to end war, the crime our country is most guilty of, but not alone. Violence begets violence. It also depletes the nation’s coffers. Greed causes great suffering. 

We help people, not necessarily because they deserve it, but because they need it. Fred Rogers had a very smart mother. She told him that when things seemed most bleak, look for the helpers. Be a helper. You are needed.