You know, I never plan what I am going to write until I log on here. There is something about a keyboard and a blank screen that just makes me want to write. I guess some people feel that way about a blank canvas or a piano keyboard. I have always wanted to be able to draw well or have a talent like playing an instrument or singing. I guess that is why I get frustrated with people who have talent and don't use it. It seems like such a waste. What I wouldn't give to be able to belt out a song (in tune) or put a picture in my mind on paper. I guess I have to settle for writing. There is really no gauge for talent in writing like there is in music or art. I know it all depends on peoples likes and taste, but seriously, you are either in tune or out. You can either hit notes or you can't. The same is true with art. Even though art is varied, some people just have an eye for good art, and then there are those of us who don't.

Enough of that! It has been nice to see the sun the last few days. I still feel an aura of sadness in the people I know lately. Is it the condition of the world that has people down? The economy, worldwide disasters or a general feeling of hopelessness? I love to blame the weather for all our ills, but certainly reasonable people know that by this time of year, winter has just about been whipped. Another possibility that I have considered is that I am more intuned to people than I used to be. My years of experience have fostered a deep empathy in me for the plight of others. The friend who recently lost her husband. Who, my age couldn't relate to that? The mom of teenagers who is dealing with the stress of those growing, changing years. It has been almost ten years since I have had a teenager, but the memories and worries stay fresh in my mind. Family struggling with small children and the challenges for two working parents and childcare issues. And through my job, I daily see people who have been laid off their jobs, have lost their insurance, and are dealing with health issues in their children. I think in the past I have been so busy with my daily life that I had less time to dwell on these issues. Now I seem to take on the sadness and burdens of others shamelessly. I woke up in the night last night worrying about someone I love. Of course the worries often get exaggerated in the middle of the night. I found the only way I could get any peace was to recite, in my head the Serenity Prayer, over and over. God grant me the the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Words to live by, and to remember when the burdens of the world seem like too much.