It’s been an awfully violent week in the U.S.;
the kind that can easily erode your sense of security and hope.
But throughout the week, I was subtly reminded
that there still is plenty of good out there
and that we must each be part of the change.
On Tuesday, I took one of my kids to the pediatrician
and was surprised to find nearby roads blocked off
and police cars everywhere.
I worked my way into the parking lot
and pulled in alongside
a big black SUV with tinted windows.
There was a circular emblem on the door
that looked very official;
a closer look revealed it was an FBI badge.
It’s not everyday in suburbia
that you find yourself parked next to the FBI.
The image just sort of screams
“chaos! crisis! danger!”
But I rarely watch the news,
so I’d been blissfully unaware
that a police officer had been stabbed
just hours before, right across the street.
Fast forward two days later, to Thursday.
I stopped at Walgreen’s in the early afternoon
and when I returned to my car,
I noticed the vehicle parked next to it:
a big white SUV with a peace symbol on the door.
It was a welcome reminder for me
that there’s still plenty of light in the world.
The next day, I finally got around
to writing an email to the latest giveaway winner
She’d been randomly selected to win
“The Boy’s Book of Positive Quotes” for her own boys
and I kept meaning to inform her,
but didn’t get around to it until Friday.
Within minutes, I received a reply from the woman who won:
“Oh, my goodness,
you have no idea how you just made my day.
I’m holding back tears.
We just moved from Ft Hood,
and I’ve been in a serious funk.
A book of positive quotes for the boys
couldn’t have come at a better time.”
I’m more convinced than ever it’s the little things –
creating them and noticing them –
that will change this world in the biggest ways.
Committing random acts of kindness,
believing anything is possible,
seeing the little bits of beauty in our midst.
Rather than spread fear, let’s spread hope.
Let’s make peace.
