And yet…

Once a month, I’d pull out of our condo building on Sheridan Road, in Wilmette, Illinois, heading north. It was a favorite drive. Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.

On the right side of the street, houses are mansion-size. Think Salisbury House big. And majestic. They face Lake Michigan, a body of water so big it’s called an ‘inland sea.’

I’d wend my way through this stunning scenery, then turn left to join Green Bay Road. This was my regular route to Highland Park. Scene of the latest, but undoubtedly not the last, mass shooting.

We spent part of yesterday, calling friends who live there. One was two blocks away when shots were fired. Another friend had relatives attending the parade, and one of the children was shot in the leg. Some were taken to the hospital in Evanston, another place we know well.

We were making calls just like friends do for us when a hurricane is heading to our place in Florida. The difference is, that we know the storm is coming. We know when it makes landfall. We have plenty of time to prepare.

The families attending a parade in Highland Park had no warning. At least, no warning other than the one we should all be heeding. A mass shooting can happen anywhere.

Three hundred mass shootings in 2022. How does one keep track?

Division sells. Division means ratings. Division, not hope, votes.

I am finding a level of depression settling into my psyche. I’ve completed countless personal growth trainings where I’ve learned tools to keep these feelings from seeping into all domains of my life.

I keep a gratitude list, which is long. Very long. It helps.

And yet.

How are you coping? Or are you?