BEAUTY AND HOPE

When the news is hard to handle and it’s difficult to cope

We like to take a long walk…and rediscover hope.

Today’s walk was along the shoreline and in the salty morning air

just as we had hoped…hope was waiting there.

As we walked along the beach early before arrival of the crowds

we found hope that cloudy morning in the sun peeking through the clouds.

We found hope in the faithfulness of the waves and the rolling of the seas

In the confidence of the gulls as they floated on the breeze.

We found hope in a couple holding hands..the woman pregnant…hope within her womb

In baby birds learning how to catch fish and in buds on flowers about to bloom.

Then up ahead we saw something we hadn’t seen on this beach before

A baby girl and a puppy…playing together along the shore.

The puppy was darting back and forth her tail wagging to and fro

The baby girl laughed and clapped her hands…and begged her mom to let her go.

We watched them as they played…as they danced together for a while

The longer we stayed, the more we watched…the broader was our smile.

Yes, after our walk together this morning we found it easier to cope…

for strewn along our path we found so many instances of hope. 

And we were reminded when we open up our hearts

as we stop to survey our domain….

all the troubles of the world seem to fade away…

and only beauty and hope remain.