Funereal Flooding

In an attempt to find a word starting with F ( not a four letter word) to put with flooding I came upon the word funereal. Sad , gloomy, dismal; the definition of funereal seems right on for the feelings surrounding these days of flooding and the deep sadness of the past week. A father and young son taken in a canoe mishap, four young lives taken as the vehicle they were in careened off the road into deep water, bombings in Sri Lanka killings hundreds on Easter Sunday.Dark and dismal days accompanied by constant updates of damaging flood waters.Where to find hope in the midst of such devastation is the challenge. I remember struggling with the same feelings last year watching friends , neighbors and communities going through record flooding. I know I am not alone in this. I do constantly remind myself of my blessings and can not even imagine all of what some are facing .We wait for the sun to shine knowing it will not change the sorrow only make it more bearable. We must keep our compassion, cling to our humanity and rise above the funereal and the flooding to carry on. As I write I sense a brightness coming over my shoulder through my office window. Not bright, warm sunshine but a glow of sunlight nevertheless reminding me of better days. Hope is the lifeline we cling to and on this day I pray for hope to abound in the lives of all those affected by the losses and devastation of the past days. I take comfort in the hope that abounds in my own heart and home.