It is that time of the year, once again, when families gather in support of their loved ones to witness a transition, a rite of passage.

Graduation fever is on.  The excitement in the air is palpable and children (they are no longer that) and their parents are proud to mark such a significant milestone.  

This year, those gatherings are marred by two wars: one between Israel and Palestine and the other in Ukraine with Russia.

As humans we have not learned to live in harmony and year by year, the world becomes a more dangerous place.  

And while it is generally accepted that war is good for the economy, the losses are often incalculable.

And the real losers are the children who are killed, made hungry, destitute, orphaned, stateless, impoverished because responsible adults are falling in their duties.

So, those who are lucky enough to graduate, who have hope and options for their future, should always be grateful.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll reminded us in his interview about how he clung to hope that:

“We can live several weeks without food, days without water, and only minutes without oxygen. But without hope—forget it.”

In the BVI, we are beginning to lose hope.  We see opportunities squandered.  We note that despair is setting in.  We wonder about the priorities.  

We are fearful of the inflated cost of living and how prices are changed overnight on supermarket shelves.

The misery index is skyrocketing.

We have highlighted the plight of the elderly but their desperation, in the main, is ignored.  Private individuals help but they too are overlooked.

A growing army of mentally ill; Of homeless; add to the challenges.

And the cruising magnates have told us that our infrastructure and cleanliness fall below expectations.

We keep crying out to the Minister for National Security to keep us safe but his focus on the COI is fixed.  And the dominoes are beginning to fail.

Despite it all, the Premier, in his State of the Territory Address, would have us believe that most things are well; the economy is in good hands and the state of the Territory is strong.

So, we give him the benefit of the doubt and celebrate with our loved ones and trust that they will be able to find a place, in the BVI, to make their contributions and to have meaningful lives.

The evidence is, decidedly, against them so in the oft repeated words by President Reagan to General Secretary Gorbachev, we trust but seek to verify.

It is still our hope, on Fridays, that BVI leaders will look beyond themselves.

They have already asked “what can the country do for me?”  And the greedy bill answered.  

Now the country asks; “And what will our leaders do for country?”  

We really do not know.

Still, on Fridays we dare to dream.

Happy Friday!