Salve for the Soul

These last few weeks have been hard. I've been lifted up by the kindness and commiserating of friends and family, and brought low by the ugliness of "friends" and family.  I'm trying to be more active in communicating with lawmakers and making plans to go to the Women's March on Washington to help me feel like I'm not completely out of control of what's in store for us in the next four years. Still, I'm crabby.  I'm sad.  I'm having a hard time finding joy in my fellow humans. Yesterday was a friend's birthday, and we made plans to meet at a local eatery to help her celebrate.  This place is what I consider to be the heart of our little village. Whenever we're there, there is no doubt we'll run into someone we know, probably share a glass of wine or beer with them, and spend time chatting while waiting for our food. There are strings of white lights hung diagonally across the room and the fire from the pizza oven keeps things warm. The atmosphere is calming and welcoming. My daughter works there, and I work in the bookstore at the front of the building, so we spend a fair amount of time there.  When the winter months come, the owners often have musicians play because, well, winters are long here and we need all the entertaining we can get! Saturday night they hosted The Ukeladies (and Lad). The Ukeladies are a large group of women who play, not surprisingly, the ukulele.  They sing and play and seem to love what they do.  I went with two friends and the place was packed. The Ukeladies (and everyone else!) sang Happy Birthday to my friend, the town's librarian, and the energy in that restaurant was the most positive I've felt in awhile. Half the town was there, smiling and laughing and singing together. It was good.  It was good for my soul that has been bruised a bit recently, and it was good for my heart that has almost given up in believing that human beings in this country are good, giving, compassionate creatures. With the Badger game playing on the tv, and the Ladies singing Christmas carols, with friends smiling and tapping their feet and singing along, it was a good night. That energy and camaraderie reminded me that joy isn't always so far away. It reminded me that despite the ugliness of what we're becoming as a nation, there are always moments of goodness to look for and to celebrate when I find them.

Carry on warriors, and hold the line.

The Ukeladies