Days like yesterday — April 15 — make it easy to become preoccupied with the worst.
Yesterday. December 14, 2012. September 11, 2001. April 19, 1995. The worst moments. Unthinkable realities. Inhumanity.
But in the midst of the April 15 bombing in Boston, we bore witness to poignant examples of the best of us. The first responders whose only objective was to bring aid. The everyday women and men whose instincts drove them toward chaos. To help.
The story was the same in Connecticut, at Ground Zero, in Oklahoma City, and in countless similar moments throughout history.
In the midst of unimaginable darkness, a source of hope and peace always seems to emerge — in the form of selfless acts, undeniable courage, compassion, and an insatiable need to give.
It touches everyone. For a season we’re kinder, more tolerant, searching for a way to help.
This is the best of us. Giving without expectation. Investing in the well-being of others.
Today, and in days to come, when the temptation is to focus on the worst, we will grow, survive and even thrive when we find ways to tap into those characteristics, thoughts, emotions and acts that represent the best of us.
Peace.