by Jim Cathcart
As my regular readers know, I'm an avid mountain hiker here in the Santa Monica Mountains between Malibu and Highway 101. A few years ago many of our regular trails were ravaged by fires much like the ones that are still smoldering nearby today. In the months following the fires I saw the trails go through the various stages of renewal. It is quite inspiring to observe.
At first there's nothing but ashes and charred remains, but then sprouts emerge and shortly thereafter, flowers. The contrast is striking and encouraging. I saw this same effect once on a motorcycle tour of Yellowstone National Park just after fires had devastated much of the park.
With the President's arrival in San Diego a few minutes ago the rebirth of much of Southern California will begin, even as some are still fighting the fires.
The evacuation of Escondido was lifted moments ago and residents can return to their homes or, sadly, home sites.
Aid centers and resource networks have already sprung up to assist the victims of these fires. Every aspect of our society is reaching out to help in some way. It renews my faith in mankind and especially in America.
On top of all this I received an email this morning with news of the USS New York, a wonderful new ship that was built from the scrap metal of the World Trade Center. Here is a link to the article about it on Snopes.com, the site to check when you wonder about the reliability of an email message. Rebirth and renewal is all around us.
So, the next time you get the impression that all is lost or that evil has prevailed, just remember the line from the movie Jurassic Park, "Life always finds a way."
We are loved and there is a God. Our job is to live our lives fully and give all of ourselves that we can to each other.
God bless you and God bless America.
Jim Cathcart
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