So I was browsing through the news again as I usually do and, as usual, I find several articles about the situation in Gaza, the MH flights, the tension between China/Japan/US, and the fire spitting between North Korea and South Korea.  On top of all these global articles are pieces about missing children, abducted mothers, and murdered grandparents.  And as usual, I finish my news reading with a sense of confusion, loss, and hopelessness for the world we live in.  It seems dramatic but I am far from desensitized to these articles, though I sometimes wish I was.

There are so many things going on in the world right now that it makes me wonder if I should be allowed to feel contentment from the coffee I'm sipping or the fruits I'm eating.  It makes me think about all those children getting killed in Gaza, or the mother and son that never made it to their destination on their MH flight.  And what about that abducted mother I'd just read about?  Is she still alive?  And here I am, sipping coffee, eating cherries, and enjoying the comfort of an air conditioned home.  

But then I remember that time I saw my parents hold hands as they walked into a grocery store, or that time I saw my neighbor playing with his two dogs in the grass.  And what about the sky that's so very blue and the clouds that look like soft marshmallows drifting across the backdrop?  I can't ignore the softness of the chair underneath my or the soft humming of the refridgerator downstairs.  These are all things that are a part of my life and they bring me happiness (though sometimes I admit... the fridge drives me nuts).

It's hard to remember the good things in life when I am constantly being told news about death, destruction, and fear.  I can't help but feel nervous when I walk outside at night because I wonder if I will be the next abductee on the news.  And when I climb onto a plane, I wonder if I will actually ever make it to my destination.  But at the end of the day, that's life.  As humans we fight because we can.  We create war because there will forever be a clash of opinions and decisions.  We kill because, at the end of the day, we are animals.  But on the other side is a world of beautiful night skies, colorful cultures from all around the world, and the love of family and friends.

When I feel faithless and terrified, I try to think of the good things.  I think of the coffee I love, or the toe-curling love between my fifty-something parents and I find myself feeling alright.