That there is brutality in this world, of that there can be no doubt. It is recorded in billions of stories and published all around the world. That there is cruelty, torture, murder, and killings galore is also well documented. People are facing starvation, wars, homelessness, abuse of every kind, political corruption, and much more. I have been reading a lot of stories just like these. But you know what? For every bad news stories there are millions more good news stories.

The stories of every day people doing their best at home and at work to serve others in so many ways. Like bus drivers that smile a good morning as they drive people to their destinations. Like care givers who feed, bathe, and provide for  babies, children, the sick, and others in their care. Like farmers who work in all kinds of weather to bring us food. These…

I woke up this morning and after my usual morning routine I opened Facebook. One of the first posts I saw was a news story about a wildfire burning approximately 120 km from here. I live in Fort McMurray and I was here when the wildfires swept through the city and caused an evacuation of about 88,000 people – many of whom never returned. Not a good start to the day (the news story I mean). It made me anxious. The next post I saw was about snow in Newfoundland, my native home. All I could think was I would trade the hot, arid weather we’ve been having for snow any time. At least I wouldn’t be concerned about a wildfire with that lovely white moisture falling from the skies. The weather network is forecasting rain on Saturday – just a couple of days from now. I hope we get…