Celebrating the Good

It has been awhile since I joined Ruth Ayres and her community for a celebrate this week post. (Check them all out here.) With my goal of writing each day in November, I thought it was the perfect time. Yet what to celebrate? My heart has been heavy of late. There is so much negativity abounding in this world. I made a huge mistake of watching network TV two nights ago and saw my first campaign ads of the season. I guess I had a good run, the election is only a few days away. Unlike years ago, I can't just avoid the negativity rained down from commercials, I open my Facebook app and it is all right there. I cannot surround myself with the hate. It makes me curl up, fall into despair. How can a world this beautiful hurt so much? How can we forget to love all of our people, not just the ones like us? I begin to search, desperately, for the light.

As always, it is there, just waiting to be found.

I see the good in the daily message at my local YMCA. I love swimming, but am not a fan of actually getting there. Each time I walk to the back, turn to the locker room, I see the whiteboard. There is always a positive message waiting to be found.

I see the good in my students. I love teaching them all, but I especially enjoy my Friday morning advisory group. It's a mix of students I have in class and those that I don't get to teach. Each Friday is something different, yesterday we wrote letters to Veterans. I love the easy start to the last day of my work week.

I see the good in readers. Whether they are my own children snatching books out of my mail, or my students who come into our classroom with a deep sigh of relaxation and fall into the book they pull out, they give me hope for our future. 

I see the good in my husband, Chris, who is fine with me fleeing 23 miles to Starbucks so many days. It is where I can write, I can focus, I can finally let myself breathe. 

I see the good in kids. Watching them play basketball, give it their all, and - in our case this time - come up on top. I love when I can see glimpses of the players they will become. I love when I see the sportsmanship that makes my heart shine. I love when I see an unselfish pass, a teammate cheer on and encourage another. That is the true win.

I see the good to be found in strangers. I pulled myself out of bed early today - walked the dog and was sitting down in Starbucks before 8am. An elderly lady came in, ordered a drink. The barista rang her up and I could tell she was confused. She looked back at the prices listed above and then said quietly to him that she didn't have enough money, just to cancel her order. He looked at her, smiled, and said he had this one. My eyes filled at the kindness of this college student and I had faith in humanity once again.