I was so excited for a dinner with my boys tonight at Mavericks.   I still had fun, but I had that pain in my gut. Our country is in trouble.

ANOTHER shooting.

This time at a hospital in Chicago.

Too close to home.

All of these are too close to home.

We shouldn’t have to worry about going about our daily lives each day.

America, you have a problem.

Right now, it seems as though you like to keep our flags at half mast.   Why don’t we just order them that way for the next year?!?  This problem isn’t going away…

How is the rest of the world viewing this country?  At this rate, we will be self-destructing in 5, 4, 3, 2,………..

Oh wait, I’m hearing about more prayers for the people in Chicago.

Prayers for the wildfire victims.

America, WAKE UP!

We are losing our own people!  

This certainly makes me more introspective about finding the joys and the reasons I am grateful each day…..

But, this is so wrong.

As I sit here tonight and TRY to wrap my head around this, I will choose to find the joy in my day….

• Listening to Kirby tell about his bowling field trip
• Helping Punky revise a social studies project
• Watching my students work through their math centers with CONFIDENCE and PRIDE
• Hugging Hubby at the end of the day – I am so thankful to go through life with him by my side. Our family is my everything.
• Trying to explain to Punky that Bs in advanced classes are ok.  He is learning!   I would much rather him struggle through advanced classes than ace regular classes – he i s learning how to learn

I am so looking forward to time with my family in these upcoming days…because even though the world is crazy around us, they are  the ones who fulfill us – who try us – who strengthen us – who make us laugh – and who make our hearts swell… and for that I am thankful.

But, that still doesn’t make the hurt go away in my heart.  We are better than this.