Forget about the fake news. Pay no attention to the editorializing, the divisiveness, the hyperbole.

Forget about the algorithm that feeds off of your feelings, and feeds into your fears. Pay no attention to the rich white men behind the curtain, pushing all the buttons that push all of your buttons.

Forget about the one-sided half-truths, that confirm your partisan biases. Pay no attention to any of that.

Seek out the real news. Seek out the facts.

Fact: Spring is coming. Longer, warmer days are here. New life is all around us, ready to break through at any moment.

Fact: The crocuses and snowdrops are popping. The forsythia and cherry blossoms are on the brink of blooming.

Fact: Soon, people will take to the parks, to the sidewalks. Very soon, people will take to the streets.

[Editor’s note: Hope is not yet restored, but it may be ready to break through at any moment.]