I have been thinking about all the destruction going on in the world– Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Russia, and the trials of a former president accused of committing 94 felonies across multiple trials. The list goes on.

Sharyl, my spouse, and I were on the road in Missouri in March on vacation when the news kept breaking into our little temporarily created bubble. In addition to the aforementioned tragedies, we learned that a premature baby who emerged from her murdered mother’s womb with an emergency C-section succumbed a few days later.

We took all that in while driving past the springtime mountains and trees sending forth their new leaves.

I thought about how easy it is to become discouraged and give up, attempting to reach the end of our small lives with as little stress and involvement as possible.

But I remembered a quote from Margaret Mead, which made me reconsider: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Despite much evidence to the contrary, it might still be possible. 

I remembered the story of Malala Yousafsi, a young student in Pakistan who was shot in the head on a school bus by Muslim extremists who believed girls should not be educated.Today, she speaks worldwide for girls and their right to an education. 

Then there is Greta Thunberg, the young teenager who began protests against global warming. She is now a world-renowned speaker who continues to speak knowledgeably and passionately against global warming.

Then, a billboard caught our attention. I urged Sheryl to drive as slowly as she could so I could take a photo of it.

The sign proclaimed, “Equality: Bigger than Hate.” It was situated near a Confederate flag, which is no longer allowed in public places in Missouri. With my curiosity piqued, I found