Look for good in the world

I believe in the goodness of people.

Even now when the world seems flipped on its axis, the goodness of people shines through the darkness.

The view from the cheap seats is pretty good. Case in point: A young woman who lost both of her parents in a relatively short amount of time decided to celebrate the blessings in her life by helping others.

She sent out an SOS asking for people that she could help at Thanksgiving. The response was a tad bit overwhelming; yet with help from some of her friends, she made Thanksgiving baskets for people.

How wonderful is that? In the darkness of grief bloomed this beautiful gesture.

Another woman, up to her eyeballs in animal rescue where the need never ends, "adopted" a senior citizen (of the human kind), and provided groceries. She, too, had a group of people that wanted to help.

I think of the bell ringers who faithfully stand outside of stores this time of year, regardless of weather. They'll smile as their bells chime, greet customers, all in the name of gathering donations to help out the less fortunate in our area.

I've been in full-on whine mode (and fleece-lined leggings) since the temps dropped; how these bell ringers maintain their holiday cheer is a mystery.

I see students who share "Friendsgiving" with others who cannot make the trip home for the holiday.

A church in Floyd, wanting to share the love, opened its doors to people in the surrounding communities on Thanksgiving. Members even provided transportation for people who didn't have a way to travel.

What is truly remarkable is that none of these people made a big deal out of what they did. No tooting of their horns, no dramatic, heavy sigh for their efforts, no "look at me!"

They did what they always do; they step in, they give, they lead with their hearts.

That may be the secret to getting through difficult times. Rather than focus on the bad, which is all-too plain to see, we should look for the good in the world, and in those around us.

Granted, it isn't always easy to do that, especially when we're dealing with the usual assortment of "stuff" that life can throw at us. But as these few examples show, there is beauty all around us.

Maybe when our own light is dimmed from circumstances or hardships, the love reflected from others can brighten our way.

I recently stumbled across a great quote that I keep as a personal reminder: "If you see something beautiful in someone, SPEAK IT."

May you find the beauty in this holiday season.

Patti Dobson writes about faith for The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at: [email protected]