It is a clear but chilly morning. Even in Kansas we don’t expect the dawning of May to come with the temperature so close to freezing. But, life and weather are among those things subject to change without warning. Still, the sun did come up this morning, the horses are grazing in the pasture and I am awake and vertical.

In fact, I was almost awake when my brother-in-law, Kevin, called to tell me that our military forces had found Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Randa provided some additional information a bit later. I wondered how many billions of dollars we’d spent on that manhunt and noticed that I, oddly, did not feel significantly safer upon learning that this particular man of hate has been sent on farther toward that Day of Reckoning.

It seems sadly strange that killing people filled with hate rarely diminishes the hatred that is in the world, nor does violence readily put an end to violence. Still, I’m sure, there will be no small bit of celebration that goes on in many quarters today in response to the long-awaited news. Whether that can measure properly the number of lives lost and others changed is a task beyond my capabilities.

And so, I will feed the horses, scratch the softness of their chins and give thanks that the sun is shining and that I am awake and vertical. There are many in the world who would give much for such a simple moment of peace.

Some of them living right here in Kansas.

H. Arnett

5/2/11