For a world that has been in hurt to some degree or other for a few years now, there is a comforting lick for us all from the soft-creeping light bursting its way through the curtains these Spring mornings.
And with summertime officially beginning this coming Sunday morning (March 27 ), it can be safely said that the celebrated 'auld stretch in the evening' has never been needed as much.
There is no doubting the lift that we get from ridding ourselves of the dark mornings, and the prospect of darker evenings is never one to lighten the mood.
However, with all of the trauma that our minds and bodies have absorbed over the past few years, the rejuvenating aspect of summertime is one we will need in abundance in the days and months ahead.
With the horrifying images of the evil Russian aggression dominating our waking and sleeping minds, we are preparing ourselves once again for the latest once in a century scenario. This used to be reserved for storms, then there was Covid and now, we find ourselves in a strong position of being able to help those who need shelter, nourishment, and love at a time when all three elements have been ripped from their lives.
We heard this week that 200,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war will be accommodated in Ireland. We hope too that all of the communities in our midst will on this occasion show them the warmth of our welcome. This means including them in all aspects of our society, in sport, in education, in culture.
We do not know how long their stay will be in Ireland. For some it might be less than a year until things start to stabilise; for others, it might the start of their new lives here forever; for even others, this respite in Ireland might be a childhood experience they will remember at the end of this century.
We have the opportunity now to ensure that such memories will be happy ones and that once again, we will illustrate our hospitable nature in these times of adversity.
In lockdown we discovered this side of ourselves and it has been retained. Perhaps too, dealing with this crisis will enable us to find innovative ways to ensure that nobody goes homeless as we move through this decade and beyond.
