A Daily Gift

Yesterday I had a brilliant idea for a blog topic this morning. I tucked it away in my memory, with the full intent of bringing it back out this morning.

Naturally? I can't remember for the life of me what I wanted to write about.

Yesterday school was cancelled for Jace due to subzero temperatures. So Roy and I braved the weather and headed over to pick up Harrison to spend the day so that Jace wouldn't be alone while Roy and I worked. They had a fabulous time doing what boys do who are shut up in a house all day long: playing soccer with a miniature ball, playing games on electronic devices, watching tv, chasing Piper, etc. And then when we drove Harrison back home at 8:00 last night, he fell asleep in the car--a telltale sign that he'd worn himself out. Even Jace crawled into bed of his own accord before 9:00--a rarity in our lives.

What did they do that was so exhausting?

Yesterday I skyped with Dee, a friend who goes way back. Our discussions almost always turn philosophical. We talk about the facts of our lives for a few minutes but then we move on to deeper things. I love our conversations. They always give me so much to think about.

Anyway, we were talking about atheism versus agnosticism. I can wrap my thoughts around someone choosing agnosticism. But atheism? That seems so cold, so heartless, so hopeless. Even if that philosophy were true, I wouldn't want to live it.

In my opinion, regardless of one's philosophy, people are basically kind. I think we were created for kindness, for generosity and love and joy. Of course, you don't have to look too far to see that we have a lot of horror and anger and selfishness that abounds in society. But, that's nothing new. Rome had gladiators, for pity's sake, and the amphitheaters were filled to bursting with people who wanted to watch people fight to the death.

But by the same token, you don't have too look too far to find a lot of kindness in this world as well. Recently Paul Walker died--a famous actor from the Fast and Furious movies. Once he passed away, all of his good deeds came to light--deeds that he worked very hard to keep quiet. He was generous and kind and did his best to ease life for others. And he was a movie star--one of those people that we regulars like to brand self-centered and egotistical.

I was reading yesterday how it's  become a new phenomena for the wealthy to leave grand tips to waiters and waitresses at restaurants. One man just this past week had a waitress that he struck up a conversation with while she waited on his table. She told him that she was saving her money so that she could continue her higher education--she had been a foster child her whole life but was working so hard to create a future for herself. And so he wrote out a check for $6000, paying for an entire year of school plus some extra cash for books and such.

Often we hear stories about people finding bags of cash and turning it in. Recently I read about a lady who found a very expensive wedding ring in the sandbox of a local park. She went to great lengths to find the rightful owner, placing an ad in the newspaper, as the ring was valued at well over $10,000. The owner of the ring happened to see the ad and got her ring back. The two became best of friends.

Sometimes I'll be in traffic and I need to get in a different lane. The person behind me willingly pauses and lets me in. The other day we were at a movie theater and it was bursting with people. There were four of us. Some people were sitting in one of the rows with scattered seats between them and they very happily scooted together so that we could sit down in that row--without us asking--just because they saw our need.

When natural tragedies occur, people come together, pooling their resources for the good of others.

People, in my opinion, are born to laugh, to dream, to enjoy life.

And of course we can find stories of tragedy, stories that reek of utter destruction.

But why focus on those stories when we don't have to look too far to find stories that are magical? that inspire us to be kinder? more giving?

I choose to believe that regardless of one's belief system, we are all just people.

Recently Roy told me that he needed to stop watching the news because it was so depressing. He found himself spiraling into sadness more often than not from the things he witnessed on the screen. I said Stop dwelling on those things! There is plenty of beauty in life!

And I believe that. Look out the window. The sun continues to rise; the mountains still reach in all of their grandeur for the sky; the stars twinkle and amaze us with their brilliance. The crisp air reminds us that we are alive.

Each day is a gift and every person on this planet has the privilege of unwrapping the gift and seeing the beauty inside.