Wanting good news

Visits with family members here in Iceland is always so different than visits with friends in the United States. Because small chat, about general things, is really at a minimum here in Iceland. After the kids leave the table, the adults look at one another, and it is time to say what has really been going on. At least that is my feeling, and perhaps part of the reason I have not been doing quite so much visiting these last 6 months. I really prefer to go visit people when I have good news to share, when I want to tell them something happy. 

But tonight my dear second cousin once removed and I finally got together, the first time since her mother's funeral in January. And we talked about death. Her mother's, my brother's. And sickness. My son's, her daughter's. 

We were both searching for some upbeat news to share, and could not think of much. Until she mentioned going to hear Eva Jolie recently, give a talk about how wide spread corporate irresponsibility and financial shenanagans are all over the world. And even though we both teared up thinking about the situation in Nigeria, that counted as the lightest part of the conversation. 

It would have been the most in depth in California. 

A part of me would be OK with that tonight, since I am in fact a bit drained. 

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