Just in the past month, there was a mass casualty stabbing in Northern California and America’s deadliest shooting to date in Orlando. There were countless bombings and attacks over seas in Turkey, France, Bangladesh, Somalia, Iraq, Libya and too many other countries to keep track of. These things weigh heavy on our hearts and minds and make the world seem darker and darker.
So let’s change the pace, at least for the few minutes it will take to read this article.
I put together a few short, positive, feel-good stories to remind us all that the world isn’t completely dark and hopeless.
In Redmond, WA, a police officer (who is declining to be identified) was called to handle shoplifters at a local Target. When the officer realized that the shoplifters were actually a struggling family attempting to steal diapers, they reached into their own pocket to cover the cost of diapers, as well as new shoes to help the family.
Tyler Fugett, a nine-year-old boy in Montgomery County, TN pooled his allowance to buy 100 books to donate to a local jail that survives “penny to penny.” He’s now collecting toiletry items to donate to the inmates as well as other people in need.
The Rockefeller Foundation granted $6 million to help inner city kids from Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC and San Francisco see the new, educationally entertaining Broadway hit “Hamilton.” For those of you who haven’t tried to get tickets... it’s almost impossible.
In a region in Pakistan known for religious violence, Muslim farmers are joining their savings, time and labor to build a church in their village for their Christian neighbors. I don’t think there’s any question that we need more acts of kindness and displays of tolerance like this all over the world.
At the funeral of Christopher Andrew Leinonen, who was killed in the Pulse night club shooting in Orlando, hundreds of people (some dressed as angels) not only gathered to mourn, but also peacefully opposed the hate groups protesting the service. They joined the pack of comfort service dogs that had been flown to Orlando and fanned out all over the city to comfort friends, families, victims, and survivors of the shooting.
The city of Sacramento opened a mobile, public restroom, staffed 24/7, available to the homeless who lack other options.
My favorite animal, the manatee, the cow of the sea, is no longer considered an endangered species! That is something to celebrate.
These stories seem to be small, and they are. But that doesn’t mean they are insignificant. They are building blocks to something bigger, they are signs that our humanity is still intact. Somewhere, underneath all of the violence and intolerance, there is love. There is tolerance. There is hope. It seems as though horror is everywhere we turn, but I think we should focus on supporting the good in the world. We shouldn’t distract ourselves from being aware, but rather recognize that our own goodness can counteract everything else that makes the world seem so dark.
We can make the difference. So let’s.
