There is Still Love: Written by MJ Reporter Willow LaMunyon

I didn’t have the heart to write the type of article that is typical of my Wednesday stories, so please forgive me for using this space to mourn along with the rest of the country over the deaths of a classroom filled with children.

There is no way I can imagine successfully coping with hearing about people, about children and teachers being randomly shot to death.

I think about one of my granddaughters, who is a second-grade schoolteacher, and I find relief in knowing summer vacation is here. She assures me that she and her students are safe. I wish I had her confidence.

People, in general, appear to be more nervous than ever before. A man shows a video of someone walking through his yard and thinks they may be up to something. A woman thinks she is being followed by a suspicious-looking character when it is someone simply walking in the same direction. Friends talk about terrifying nightmares.

It is easy to forget there is still more love than hate in this world, and the wheel of life will turn to better times.

My niece, Ginger, is one of the people who can give us all hope. She has dedicated her life to rearing a little boy with too many handicaps to be adoptable. He doesn’t understand and probably never will understand the basics of what it takes to live a normal life.

If you ask Ginger, she will say he is active and leave it there. What she doesn’t say is that he doesn’t run around, as the word active brings to mind but puts himself in a position where he could hurt himself, so Ginger has to constantly watch him to protect him. Babysitters refuse to take on the responsibility, so his care is up to her alone.

Most of us, including myself, wouldn’t attempt to take on a job like that. She didn’t have to. He is not a relative of hers, and it was even expected that she wouldn’t, but she did, and she is with a smile and more patience than seems possible.

There is still much good in this world, and she is what reminds us there is indeed still much good in this world.