It’s been a quiet few weeks. Negin and I visited Caity-joon and Luke down in Gotham City over the weekend, and delivered a wedding present (a small print of “The Heart of the World” by Progress Design). We met lots of wonderful people. This all was preceded by a very exciting junior youth group which we’ll probably blog later in the week.

But for now, I just wanted to say hello, and post this link to a story from the New York Times on 29 October 2009: “Obama Visits Air Base to Honor Returning Dead.”

The image of the commander in chief standing on a darkened tarmac, offering a salute to one of the soldiers, highlighted the poignancy of a decision he is facing. After beginning his presidential bid with a promise to end one war, Mr. Obama is now grappling with how many troops to commit to another.

The overnight trip was not announced in advance. The president, wearing a dark suit and a long overcoat, left the White House just before midnight. A small contingent of reporters and photographers was quietly called to follow him to Dover, where he met for two hours with members of 14 families. He returned to the White House at 4:45 a.m.

We become so inured to violence and death, it just felt like a worthwhile article.