January 20: Hive of Falling Snow, State of the Union, Prayer Updates

When they stepped outside together, the snow was already more than six inches high and rising.  A beautiful night, the streets in every direction impassable to traffic.  Hardly anything moved save for the occasional snow plow on the avenue, bus engines whirring, strained, somewhere in the immense, agitated hive of falling snow, a kind of violet light puzzled them.  Down the street dozens of children who'd swarmed out of their apartment houses, were in the midst of a snow fight, the scene lit by wrought iron street lamps, snowballs bursting against hooded, gleeful faces, and dropping, soft as flowers, behind them.

I love this description of the streets of New York.  Muffled by snow.  Filled with kids throwing snowballs and laughing.  It's a scene right out of Currier & Ives or a Normal Rockwell painting.  There's a pervading nostalgia in Hijuelos' words.  Something both happy and sad.  Sad and hopeful.

I'm sitting in my living room tonight, watching President Obama deliver his penultimate State of the Union address.  I still find Mr. Obama an inspiring figure.  A symbol of everything that's good about the United States of America.  Whether he's able to raise the minimum wage or bring free health care to every citizen in this country, he is talking about hope tonight.  Hope for a better life for everyone on this planet.  Republican or Democrat, nobody can argue against that aspiration.

Tonight, I'm going to give you some updates on people for whom I've recently asked you to pray.

My sister came home from the hospital last week.  She's still very weak, but getting stronger.  She will be starting physical therapy next week.  Her mental state is greatly improved, as well.  However, I think she's still struggling with depression.

My daughter's friend who was in the car accident is still at the University of Michigan hospital.  Late last week, she underwent facial reconstruction surgery and repair of a laceration on her brain.  The last I heard, she was still on a ventilator, but she was responding to her mother.  The doctors were very pleased with the results of her surgeries, but she still needs a lot of prayer.

And Sara, my friend who's struggling with her bipolar son.  On Sunday, she was laughing and making plans for the future.  I'm not sure how her son is doing, but Sara has started to take care of Sara, and that's a step in the right direction.

There is hope in there tonight, at least in my house.  I hope you feel it, even a little bit.  It doesn't have to be a partisan thing.  I don't care if you voted for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama in the last presidential election.  Everyone deserves to feel positive, uplifted.

And Saint Marty feels positive that Hillary Clinton should be uplifted to the Presidency of the United States in two years.

Is it me, or does John Boehner look a little jaundiced and constipated?