Reality versus the joy of youth.

Everyday, it gets tougher to watch the evening news.  Each day, the screen is filled with devastating pictures of Ukrainian buildings bombed out by the Russians. Or with the heart-wrenching pictures of fathers saying good bye to their families at train stations or perhaps, the Polish border.  Many say they know they’ll never see their families again.

The Russians are bombing maternity wards and cancer hospitals.  And we watch.  Some still pictures remind many of the Nazis and World War II. 

Like I said, it’s getting tougher.

That’s one reason I so enjoyed watching the NCAA basketball selection show this week.  It was a break that we on the other side of the world get to enjoy. We’re not being bombed. The network’s remote shots showed the sheer joy of teams that actually got into the tournament.  The players cheered with delight and hugged each other as an entire stadium of fans watched with delight behind them.  They took “selfies” of the television screen that showed their schools in their particular bracket.

Of course, many of these teams will lose their very first game and go home.  They may know that deep in their hearts, but hope reigns supreme.  They’re in the game.

Hope brings us joy and a determination to “win” the game.  We can dream; we can hope.

We’re in the big show, but tomorrow we’ll say a prayer for Ukraine…and hope.