Each season comes with its own unique blessings and downside. Winter means hazardous driving conditions and sidewalks to clear but it also gives us the wonder of a fresh, pristine snow fall and the stillness of a winter's eve once the storm has passed. Spring brings the promise of new life, the awakening of nature's bounty, and the sounds of her many winged creatures welcoming the new day with song. Fall bursts upon us with a panorama of colour and  crisp night air as nature begins to prepare to retire and fortify her wonders for the harsh days ahead. But summer is the culmination of the cycle of the seasons. when the sun shines its brightest, the flowers bloom around us as if happy to be alive, and even a summer rainfall makes one want to walk among the raindrops with a youthful abandon only  harnessed if that rainfall is accompanied by nature's fireworks  as lightning fills the sky and thunder assaults the eardrums. But once the fireworks display passes the landscape is renewed, the flowers stand refreshed and even the air seems fresher.

 The seasons do have a similarity to life itself if one thinks about it. For every good thing which  happens in our lives there is a price to be paid.  Each season also has its cost factor. In order for us to truly appreciate the sunny days  we must endure the dark days as well. No one ever said life would be easy and no one can ever completely control nature and its elements. The secret is in preparing ourselves and drawing strength from the good days which will carry us through until they return once again.

 Just think about it ... aren't the good days worth it ? Even nature needs help in assuring that the sunflowers will flourish. How can we possibly believe that violence and firestorms  are an answer to the problems we face around the world ? How can we believe that we have the right to indiscriminately destroy life because those who would harm us have multiplied like weeds on a rampage. Weeds only flourish when the garden is left unattended you know.

 Just as weeds are a fact of nature so are there evil men  who would destroy all around them as they lay waste to all who stand in their way. That evil exists on both sides in this struggle. And unless, and until we recognize that fact and deal with it there will be no resolution. Yes, terrorism must be eradicated and we must unite in this common cause but like all things we must first look to ourselves before we can find resolution. Have our leaders acted wisely ? Have they been honest with our people or have they misled in order to have their way ? Have their actions  served to enflame rather than to dampen the flames which threaten to engulf us ? Are their motives pure or do they serve a master other than the principles and standards we hold dear ? We must question and find these answers before it is too late.

 We all would do well to remember these things as we face what lies ahead in this struggle we now face. The world is in turmoil,  we face unimaginable dangers, and yet, there must be hope that we will find our way out of this firestorm of hatred which threatens all of us as man  seeks to destroy, rather than to understand and reach out in an effort to find avenues of communication which will bring this storm to an end. We do not have a choice. We quite simply must find a way. If we fail to do so, we risk ending our lives as we know them and our children may well never enjoy the life we have all taken so much for granted for so very long. Do they not deserve a spring? How can we deprive them of summer and the warmth of the sun ?  Should they miss out on the wonder of trees adorned with blazing colour as the leaves present their farewell concert ? Or the joy of building a snowman on a sunny winter afternoon?  Just as they deserve all of these blessings ... they deserve the chance to live lives free of danger and fear. They deserve a future.