Finding the Good

Yesterday I needed to get my teething, tired, cranky baby outside in the warm sunshine while I had the chance. It doesn't matter what mood she has been in the rest of the day--if we get to be outside, she automatically perks up. We visited my grandpa and then went to nearby Coe Lake, which was sort of like stepping back in time. I think the last time I spent that much time around that area was when I lived right down the street, almost seven years ago. We had our prom pictures taken there, it was where I used to watch fireworks in high school and college, and Chad and I took many walks as a newly married couple (with Henry) around this park. It was a little surreal going back with my own child. It's always been a pretty area but more hiking paths and bridges have been added in the past few years that make it even better. Add a partly sunny, 70 degree spring day and it made for a lovely afternoon :)

She got to pick flowers at Great Grandpa's house:

The way the sun hit the water made it so sparkly...the pictures don't do it justice.

We watched ducks:

The gazebo! It's a Berea landmark and the backdrop for many a formal dance photo from my high school days.

She was less interested in flowers and more interested in picking up sticks and launching them, javelin style.

So interested in sticks, in fact, that she preferred counting them from her perch on this rock over watching the squirrel who was three feet away. And she loves squirrels. Usually when she sees one she waves and asks me "Mommy, I hug it?" and I have to try to explain that squirrels are for watching, not hugging.

And then as soon as we got in the car to head home I heard the breaking news story about Boston. It made me sick to my stomach and my thoughts go out to the entire city and everyone affected by such a terrible and senseless thing. So I guess if you ever wonder why I blog, maybe what happened yesterday is a way I can try to explain it. Because when I come here, I know that it's a place where only good things exist and I can focus on the positive parts of the day, no matter how small. If I'm having a bad day or if it seems like all that is taking place out there is sad and hopeless I can come here and reset. It is a reminder that the horrible things that can happen in this world are not the only things that exist. There is good out there. It's just a little harder to find sometimes.

~Stacy