First Day of Spring

Remember the good ol' days,
     When Spring Break was full of freedom and glee,
When we looked forward to a summer of fun and joy,
     When our biggest problem was deciding what to do each day?

Remember the good ol' days, 
     When we could visit our friends,
Hang out at the creek and play in the mud, ride bikes,  and play hide-and-seek
     When we could talk for hours under the starry skies?

How about those good ol' days,
     When we could go back to school and learn,
When we could find everything we needed at the store,
     When we could see each other face-to-face?

May we once again enjoy the flowers of springtime,
     Run and laugh with one another without a care,
Travel to far-off places and see the world,
     May we once again shake each other's hand.

Life is an adventure!

---

---

So all of our area schools are keeping students home for at least two more weeks after Spring Break, but it's not a vacation.  We're being told to stay home, stay at least six feet away from others, not touch our faces, and to wash our hands frequently.  Some schools in our country have dismissed classes for the rest of the school year. Teachers are making lessons available electronically.  School meals are being delivered or offered for pickup.

I don't know what this all means for the next few weeks and months, but I know this:  after the tornado ripped through Joplin in 2011, one of my friends emerged from his destroyed apartment and told me he had nothing.  My response to his despair was to let him know that he had everything, but now that it was all in front of him.  Perhaps it is time for us all to look ahead to what will be, rather than look at the present and see what we're missing.

Things are going to be interesting.  None of this seems real.  One thing is for sure:  life is an adventure.