keberoxu, it seems to me, here in Australia, that the grim news has been going on and on for years so I can totally empathise with how you are feeling.

We've had years of drought, then bushfires, then the drought was broken bringing floods, and meanwhile we have had the whole COVID pandemic, and then for some ungodly reason Putin decided to invade Ukraine, as if the world doesn't have enough sadness already.

And we read about the troubles in the U.S., like the mass shootings, and the prolonged aftermath of the Trump era, and the Roe v. Wade fiasco, and it can all become overwhelming.

But then, there are beautiful moments in life which can lift us above that, like the group of people I play music with. We used to meet twice a month, but during the COVID period we started playing weekly, except during lockdowns. We get together, play music, have afternoon tea, have a chat, and walk away with a lightness in our step. Or sometimes we go out and busk on the street to share our music with other people and bring a smile to their faces.