Tiny to Perspective

There are so many, for lack of a better word, horrible things which have happened in the past two days.  Like really really horrible.  A couple who I consider one set of my extra parents being seriously injured in a car accident on our Wild West roads, doors and windows being shot out of a local school in the middle of the night...it goes on.  

And with the news of each of those heart breaking events, comes the thought of what's next followed by my problems are small.  Tiny.  Not even problems.  Miniscule.   

Let me back up.  

Last week was spent in Arizona with my entire family and it was beautiful.  In the sun, relaxing and playing and running and being free and living under one roof again.  Then I had to come home.  And I cried when I got off the airplane on Saturday.  I cried as I walked through our airport and saw the winter outside and the interesting folks we now have running rogue around here.  Interesting is the nicest way I could think to put that sentiment.  I cried.  

Now that crying seems fairly pathetic and utterly unwarranted.  Crying for winter and the small town where everyone knows everyone of days gone past.  Let's get a grip here buttercup and buck up.  

I find perspective is handed to me often, the key is to accept.  

On Sunday morning before all the horrible, I woke up and put Christmas tree leggings on.  Then I poured coffee in my Arizona mug and sat with the lights.  In that moment, I was still pissed at winter and this place.  The place that is no longer good ol' western North Dakota.  As I sipped and visited and really loved my ugly attire and noticed the snow falling lightly out of the windows all picturesque, I let go of the pissed.  

Replaced it with a better spirit.  One who wanted to grab her camera and jump in the car to go chase the frosty trees.  

One who wanted to make good out of the blasted winter by wearing her favorite hat and a scarf wrapped three times around.  One who wanted to find some beauty in the cold.  

When I looked through the patch of trees I happened to walk through, I noticed a red barn off in the distance.  My heart did a leap right there and then.  It was hitting the holy grail of holidays, a red barn on a frosty winter Sunday morning.  

A bright spot and a meant to be right here at this exact time moment.  

Now that it's Tuesday, all my fa-looting around with Christmas trees on my pants and capturing frosty trees seems ridiculous.  There are real seriously horrible things happening all around.  All the time it seems.  To stand up people.  To people who deserve only the best.  Makes my heart hurt.   

I thought about not sharing these pictures because as I said before, they are rather ridiculous.  But then I was reminded of the heart leaping I felt when I noticed the red barn, the bright spot.  Maybe someone who needs a leap will be here, so here they are.  And please, let's all say extra prayers for our wild world and let's all be kind to one another and remember to keep perspective.  Let's have lots of bucking up buttercups, who let go of their tiny problems.  Who support and embrace those with real ones.