How could a routine trip to the post office and convenience store make my heart smile during these trying times?

I discovered timeless scenes of hope in everyday places just a few minutes from my Bethel, New York home. They’re scenes that, especially during this season of rebirth and renewal, should lift the spirits of virtually anyone regardless of political beliefs.

It all began when I drove past a neighbor’s home and saw a backyard tableau I thought was all too rare during these days when children 8-12 years-old spend up to six hours per day watching smart phones, laptops or TVs, while teens spend up to nine hours glued to those screens, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

In a yard dotted with the freshly bloomed yellow daffodils of spring, one boy, about 11 or 12-years-old, was pitching a scuffed-up baseball to a pal who held a wood bat and stood in front of a portable backstop. If the batter hit the ball, the pitcher had to chase it. If he missed, the batter had........

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