We had only just arrived
at this gorgeous lake
in the north woods
when news reached us
of the bridge collapse
back home.
It was hard for us to fathom
how something so horrendous
could be happening there
while we were surrounded
by such serenity and beauty here.
Truly surreal.
We could have spent hours
watching CNN on the tiny TV,
but once we knew
all of our loved ones were okay,
we chose instead to use the tragedy
as motivation
to cherish our time together,
to be grateful for our family getaway,
to spend our days feeling joyful.
Sadly, it often takes a tragedy like this
to remind us what’s important,
to find the gift in every day.
