WHEN I AM LOW: September 2014, The Community Reporter

I nearly declined interest in writing my column this month because the last week has knocked me for a loop.   Perhaps it’s been the same for you.  Perhaps you, like me, need solace.  Perhaps we could all use another reminder that the essential question is not so much, “How are you?” as “What are you going through?”

Just now as I sat here mourning the loss of Robin Williams, Michael Brown, the countless lives lost in Gaza, Iraq, and at the very borders of our country as well as arson in our community that has left two of our neighbors homeless -- the sight and sound of Robin Williams’ greeting, “Good Morning Vietnam!” burst across my brain and I smiled.  I smiled rather than cried.  Immediately upon smiling the words to the song that ended that same movie came to me.  The song, sung by Louis Armstrong – - Do you remember?  “What a Wonderful World!”

My smile widened and I began to sing quietly to myself.  I decided to write my column so that I can, in a sense, offer this song to you, just in case it is what you need for what you are going through.  

“I see trees of green,

red roses too.

I see them bloom,

for me and you.

And I think to myself,

what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue,

And clouds of white.

The bright blessed day,

The dark sacred night.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow,

So pretty in the sky.

Are also on the faces,

Of people going by,

I see friends shaking hands.

Saying, "How do you do?"

They're really saying,

"I love you".

I hear babies cry,

I watch them grow,

They'll learn much more,

Than I'll ever know.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

Oh yeah.”