It feels to me as if our country is in a bit of a freefall right now.

And this plunge into fear and unrest from the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests, some of which have included mayhem and rioting due to the heinous killing of George Floyd by a white police officer, has made it a challenge to find safe grounding.

Therefore, in an attempt to help me keep my footing, I decided to make out a list of some things — good things — and also things that remind me that not everything in life has become unhinged.

First on my list is the weather.

No matter what else is going on in the world, we can be assured the weather in Mississippi during the summer months is going to be the same — hot and humid. Don’t let these last couple of days we have had fool you. These milder temps are just a tease. We all know that, by August, we will be wishing for relief from the heat.

Secondly, kids are going to be kids. The other day I was with Vicksburg Post photographer Courtland Wells while he was taking pictures of kids at a swimming pool. There I was reminded of the pool games that have been around for decades.

It felt so “normal” to see a kid tossing a ball to another while on the diving board in hopes it would be caught. There were also the teen sunbathers. Swimsuits, of course, have changed through the years, but girls wanting to cash in on a little vitamin D are still around.

Also good and grounding is gardening. I speak often of my flower beds, but I am glad my dad, year after year, has put in tomato plants. For the past couple of years, hubby has helped out, and he said it is looking like they will have a robust crop in a few weeks.

I can’t imagine a summer without eating a homegrown tomato sandwich slathered in mayonnaise. Of course, if there is bacon around, a few slices makes for a gourmet meal.

Speaking of gardening, I can’t help but smile when I smell a gardenia. It has always been my favorite flower, and this year I planted a bush in a pot on my back patio. Last week, I had more than 20 blooms. Talk about a “happy camper,” when I walked outside and got a whiff of those beauties. I felt like I was in paradise.

While there are some issues that I feel are daunting and deplorable and certainly must be addressed, I also have to remind myself of what is positive and enduring, still.

Today, this minute, it seems like goodness and calm are hiding under a bush. But I know if I just take the time to look and find them, I will be able to stand on solid ground.

 

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.