Normal is good

After a bone-chilling night, the sun came out this morning. It remains freezing but the solar rays did help warm the room and soothe our souls. As soon as the sun comes out, the village bursts into life. There is this joyous feeling as people dash out to take their walks, chatting with neighbors along the way. Nearly every house had laundry out in the brief morning sun. Life was back to normal. The herons must've starved yesterday because they were stalking the canals, the great brown hawk was soaring and the dog was happily sniffing again. Oh, what a day of snow can do to disrupt our routines!

There are certain activities that define our lives here and when we can't do them, it just doesn't feel right. You begin to appreciate being able to do those little things, like hang the laundry in the sunlight or greet your neighbors. Maybe because I was thinking about the chaos in Haiti today as so many people face the tragic disruption in their lives that I felt fortunate to have our routine re-established. More wind and snow is on the way this afternoon, but at least this morning, it felt like a breath of spring.