Walking through the Post Office parking lot this morning, I noticed a young woman with a baby on her hip. She was stopping older women walking to their cars with a request if she could speak with them.

I’ve been thinking alot – really, far too much – about death these past two weeks. My 60-year-old cousin died a week ago today. And, in a week and a half, we’ll mark the first anniversary of my mother’s death.

We were sitting around the table finishing dinner last night when Little Bug mentioned in passing that he had eaten his morning snack in the hallway outside of his classroom yesterday. Tom and I both jumped on the passing comment instantly. Why? Was he being disciplined? Had he behaved badly? He wasn’t being disciplined and he had not been bad. He was being singled out – along with four other classmates – for his snack.

I’m sitting here at my computer and listening to President-Elect Barack Obama’s first press conference since the election Tuesday. And, I’m sitting on the edge of my chair. This disaster of an economy has left my family and my business shaky, scared and wondering what 2009 has in store for us. So, naturally, the President Elect’s messages are really important to me. Good start. He says that the economy is the first thing he’s putting his efforts into. Exhale.

I’ve been reading so many people lately who profess their hatred for Sarah Palin. Many of these folks are women, whom I consider to be intelligent and excellent writers. Now, hate is a very powerful word. It brings out all sorts of venom. It’s a word I try very hard to not use, and try equally as hard to instill its true meaning in Little Bug. And, quite honestly, it’s difficult to hate someone you’ve never met. I don’t hate Sarah. I just don’t admire her. And, therein lays my problem.