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In times when you observe, feel, palpably so, so much tragedy, sadness, animus, the us-against-them dynamics, there are still those seemingly little things that can lift you, at least temporarily, to a better place.

So it is, right here in front of me, so to speak. For you see, several times a day unless the weather is too inclement, Sarah pushes her precious little boy, McNair, up and down the road in front of our house. Sarah’s smile is pure sunshine.

Sometimes Mark, Sarah’s husband, is with her. Sarah and Mark. You can’t get much more Biblical than that.

For those of us near the end of our journeys, a quotation from t.s. eliot (He didn’t use capital letters in his name.) is apropos: “A child, more than all other gifts earth can offer declining man, brings with it hope, and forward-looking thoughts.” Old t.s. got it right.

Sarah, Mark, and McNair are only living here temporarily. Our hope, wish for them, is a good life, suffused with love as it surely is now.

Since I have used a quotation, and avail myself of quotations often, allow me to veer away from today’s main story, and give you another:

“One thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” Now, is that good, or what?

Well, friends, this may be the shortest column I’ve ever written, (You’re welcome.) but often less is better.

As I often say, let’s try to get together again here next weekend.

I’ll look forward to it. Gotta run, now. I see Sarah and McNair going by.

Later…APROPOS – “Blessed be childhood, which brings down something of heaven into the midst of our rough earthliness.”

– Henri Frederic Amiel (1868)