Back for a Bit

Life is filled with writing letters to the editor, interviewing veterans and writing up their testimonials to send to the VA administration in Washington, along with the proposal to save our VA.

The stories I am hearing from veterans from all branches of service and from many conflicts are thoughtful, angry, concerned and honest. I am compiling them into my next book, "Voices of Veterans". I am going to be the voice for the veterans who are unable to speak for themselves because of PTSD.

Meanwhile, for brief moments of joy, I spend time watching our bees coming in and out of the hive. When the temperature is above 40% and the sun is shining on their hive, they crawl out and fly off to relieve themselves, returning in a short time to the warmth of their swarm. I discovered that they never eliminate waste inside of the hive, and that is the only reason they venture out, since there are no food sources in the cold of winter.

Perhaps they enjoy a brief sojourn into the outside world as well. Don't know, but I may find that out someday. They come out a few at a time, not as buzzy as in the spring and summer, but busy just the same. The expression "busy as a bee" has merit. I try to picture them inside, warming their queen and feasting on the honey they worked so faithfully to harvest all last season. Do they dream of the colorful flowers that are waiting to bloom in the season just around the corner?

Perhaps one of the best parts of being human is that we can, and do dream and hope for a better tomorrow. Without our dreams, the present can be pale and lacking richness. They say, "live for today", and that is true. Today is what we have, but then our dreams can add some luster to even the darkest and coldest of todays.