J. Davy Crockett III

Imagine the horror!  A visit to one of the most moving memorials in Washington, DC shattered as a madman rushes in the front door of the building and starts shooting.  It must have been a terrifying few minutes as the gunman exchanged fire with security guards, one of whom was killed.  The shooter, gravely wounded, was subdued and taken into custody, as visitors to the memorial and workers looked on in fear and dismay.

Once, while watching my 13-year-old grandson play a Little League baseball game in an All Star game on a summer’s afternoon, I watched the nation’s favorite pastime unfold in a good example of playing hard by the rules and accepting the outcome graciously. I observed the parents, coaches and umpires enjoying the game, and the lessons of life that the players were learning.

Some folks go through life singing, no matter what their circumstances. Such was a friend of mine, a little lady named Elsie, who died May 8, 2009 at the age of 95. One of the last things she did was to sing a hymn with her friends at her nursing home.

My family walked in the shadow of death this last year.  Not a pleasant subject, to be sure, but one that was thrust upon us nonetheless.  I lost my mother in April, 2008. She was elderly and infirm, and for the last two years of her life suffered from the scourge of Alzheimer's disease.  So, while it was sad to close that chapter, it was not unexpected, nor was it tragic. It was quite naturally her time to die, as it states in book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3.

Tired of politics? Sick of the political commercials attacking the other candidate or party? Had enough of the sarcasm, innuendo, half truths and spin?  Fed up with the endless analysis by the talking heads on the networks and cable channels?  You are not alone!  Most Americans have endured enough of this seemingly endless campaign for the nation's highest office and the myriad of other national, state and local races.