Grace: Those short, sweet bursts of peace

The snow was coming down lightly Tuesday morning as I grumbled out of bed, put on some jeans, and headed out to vote.

At 7 a.m. during a primary election, there are no such things as lines. The entire process took about 10 minutes this year. They gave me a sticker, I said thank you and it was time to get ready for work.

I'm writing this before the hubbub starts, because I know I won't have much time once election results start rolling in. It's quiet in the office, the usual calm before the storm. Reporters will start coming in about 3 p.m.

It's a time to collect myself, to prepare.

As much as I enjoy the craziness of the newsroom, there's a special place in my heart for the quiet times, as well. It was especially nice on Tuesday as I watched the snow come down throughout the morning and early afternoon. Usually, I hate the snow. On Tuesday, not so much. It brought peace to me rather than the usual semi-controlled anger. Maybe I'm getting over my dislike of the snow. Maybe it was just that kind of day.

Life can be tough. Work can be long. The peaceful moments come in short, sweet bursts, and we should enjoy them when we get the chance.

There's still much to do to get ready. We need to make sure we have mug shots ready for all 29 local candidates. We need to make sure we have all of our Web site links ready so we can quickly look up election results. We need to make sure that we know where all the candidates will be Tuesday night. We need to order the election night pizza.

But, for the 30 minutes or so it will take me to write this, I will enjoy the peace and quiet and the snow slowly drifting down as I glance up at the office windows.

I hope all of you find those short, sweet bursts of peace, as well, this week.

Enjoy when it comes, because the next bout of hecticness assuredly is just around the corner.