Now it is November

How upsetting and overwhelming the last few weeks have been. A soldier was run down and killed in a vengeful act . Another soldier was executed at out war memorial and parliament was invaded by a young man with intentions to do more harm. In NB we have sentenced another young man who gunned down three RCMP officers to five life sentences. He did not in his calculated act of aggression consider the harm he was causing , the suffering to the families , the community and the senseless act of taking three lives. The harm that was done of course by both of these troubled young men was to our security , our confidence , our very faith in the values we hold. We know of course how fragile all those things are and we also know we have no immunity from the terrible things that happen every day ,everywhere. Then a man I daily allowed into my home through my radio, hugely disappointed me. Again I had to come to terms with the vast difference between what we hold on to as the truth and what the truth really is. The struggle is to find a place of truth that still allows us to have enough optimism to keep us going day to day. A balance of sorts that keeps us believing that the world is a good place. How fragile that all is. How quickly life takes a turn that completely takes the rug right from under you. This month of November, this bleak month of transition to winter, will hold a huge challenge in this house. We will try to keep it a month of family, a month of doing our best to comfort and support one another, and a month for accepting the good and the bad that life gives us. The picture I included today was taken the November day that Burton's tractor arrived. The last payment for this beloved piece of equipment was taken out on Oct 31 so we can celebrate the fact that it is now paid for, which is wonderful. Now if I can just convince him that he doesn't have to rush right out and trade it for a bigger one.