Daily Goodness.... it's all around us!

The evening news is filled with devastation, discouragement and divisiveness. We are living in a world that is dominated by “bad news.” Every day we hear about how bad everything is and how much worst it is going to get. Every conversation seems to be centered around disease, disaster, crime, or war.  Conspiracy theories continue to control our lives. Far too many times we get that feeling that there is nothing good in our world. Frankly, most people that I know are good people who are doing good things. Maybe we need to make some noise about all the good that is being done every day. I am so grateful to live in a city and a county that is filled with good people doing their very best to serve everyone of its citizens the best they can. I am grateful for our local faith leaders. I am grateful for our local medical providers. I am grateful for our local business community. I am grateful for our local news departments. My list goes on and on….. Fireman, Police department, Activist, Teachers, Social workers…… They all tend to be quiet by nature, and thus they escape the headlines. Yet, it is a nature that in my opinion is deserving of high honor. There is a “daily goodness” that is present in our world that is going unnoticed and unheralded. It has to do with character and contribution. It is not a one time event, but rather a way of living. “Daily goodness”,  speaks to who a person is, it radiates from their soul and not their title. It speaks more about their motives than their talent and more about small and simple acts of kindness than great accomplishments. Maybe I’m too midwestern, but I think about the farmer who year in and year out weathers the storms of life, provides for families and helps his neighbors. I think of the parents who fight feelings of inadequacies all the while giving everything for their children.I’m thinking about the teacher, the grocery worker, the fireman, the police officer, my neighbor, the medical worker, and a friend who is always dependable, honest, hardworking and respectful of others. So times are bad, but there are lots of good people working to make them better! Let’s notice them! Let’s be grateful for that goodness. There is more of it that we realize.I don’t have the specific solutions to the issues, but I do have a suggestion. Maybe, just maybe we ought to look for the good that is all around us. Good people doing good things are making a difference. Good will triumph over evil! But not unless we recognize that someone or something is good.