Let 2023 go

2023 has been such a bad year for so many people. With the Russian-Ukraine war not yet done, and the Israel-Hamas war starting..no words can rationalize the cruelty of revenge. More than 11,000 collateral lives lost in Gaza thus far,  almost half of them being under 18 y.o. Every war is complicated. We should always remind each other that there is usually a long history of aggression in wars and fingers  are typically pointing in the opposite direction of self.  Within one month, we saw more than 14,000 lives lost.
Also, within one month, I attended 2 celebrations of life. One expected and one unexpected. One lived his life to the fullest, the other drifted through. Worldwide, we have a current humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. In the Bay Area, we have a homeless crisis. We have a lot of crises but it'll become a political issue if I address everything. Then again, almost everything is a political issue or somehow will offend someone.
But this weekend during my walk, I saw people gathering and heard laughter so loud, it was contagious. I saw young girls cheerleading, young boys with their footballs and young men with their cars all on display. It was such an exuberant atmosphere that it could lift anyone's mood. For so long, there was darkness and clouds. For one bright and warm day, there was happiness galore. Maybe the weather can rebuild our society again and lessen our aggression towards each other by bringing people outside to socialize. 
Picture 1: Young men and their decked out cars on display. There were lots of cool cars to admire. 
Picture 2: Young boys playing football while the girls are getting ready for a cheerleading contest. Such a fun and joyful event.
2 different events on the same day at nearby locations. 

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