Underwhelmed. Overwhelmed. Just whelmed.

My sister sent me a meme which showed three little characters sitting around a campfire. One says “I feel underwhelmed.” The second one pipes in, “I feel overwhelmed.” The third says simply, “I just feel whelmed.”

Recently I fell and hurt my back, which brought on a level of pain to everyday functions I take for granted in running a newspaper and maintaining my household. And one of my friends' mothers had to go into the hospital and now the siblings are struggling with that awful decision about how to care for her when she can no longer do it herself. Nursing homes, insurance, health directives, and whose life is going to change to make that feasible.

Holding it together these days is a matter of a thin red line. Between being underwhelmed and overwhelmed, Welmed seems like a win.

As we enjoy the cooler weather of fall and a slate of community events sure to put a smile on your face, remember the people behind the events that make them happen. And every business who opens their door, serves us in their own way, contributes to the sense of normalcy and community which feeds us in our own quest. And while it's impossible to know all the things each of them struggle with to ensure that happens, we know the struggles are there. It can’t be otherwise in the challenging times we find ourselves in.

We are 30 days out from the midterm elections, and I keep coming back to what actually makes life feel manageable. It isn't grand promises. It's whether the rent is payable, the groceries affordable, and whether a family facing a parent's care can find help without draining everything they have.

I am hoping we have a change of leadership in Washington because the current crop appears to be focused on making immigrants our enemies and government investment in bettering our lives a drain on America when it is the engine that has always powered what makes us great.