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Today I’d like to write about something beautiful and something good. I’d like to write about a few wonderful, positive things I have witnessed lately. It’s so easy to be negative, even unintentionally. It’s so easy to be judgmental. It’s so easy to be selfish or to take blessings and happiness for-granted. But every now and then you witness kindness, you witness selflessness, you witness love. And I think it’s important to dwell a bit on these acts when they come along. It’s important to take a moment to appreciate the positive influence they have on our world and to recognize the joy they can bring to everyone. They encourage us. They uplift us and inspire us and challenge us to do the same and to be kinder, gentler, happier, and more loving people. I’d like to share them with you in hopes that they will brighten your day as they have brightened mine.

– There’s an old man at church who melts our hearts and brings us so much happiness every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. He’s always at that mass and he always sits in the same exact pew in the same exact spot, right by the side door. He makes direct eye contact with everyone who walks in no matter how early or late they are, and gives everyone a big thumbs up (literally) and a huge, toothless, ear-to-ear grin as they pass. He shakes hands with every usher and every family that passes by him in their way to the back of the church to bring up the gifts. He speaks every single word of the mass – including the Priest’s parts – because he is so happy to be at church. He rises and waits, excitedly, at the very end of his pew as soon as communion starts because he is so eager to receive communion. He smiles and smiles and smiles the whole entire mass. Ted and I often find ourselves sneaking long peeks at him during church because he is just so happy and so positive that merely watching him brings such a sense of joy to our morning. What a great example of how we should all be! He literally brightens our day and I often think how I would love to be just like him.

– While Ted was at Buffalo Wild Wings sitting at the bar with a friend watching the Packer game yesterday, a homeless man came in. It was pouring rain outside and a little chilly, and the man wanted to come in and get out of the rain and off his feet for a while. He didn’t bother anybody or ask for food or money. He just sat at the bar and ordered a water. Instead of kicking him out, knowing full well that he smelled bad, would order nothing but water, and would likely stay through all the Sunday football games, the waitress gave him water and then brought him out a burger and fries – on the house – to eat, and told him he could stay inside, out of the rain, for the evening and enjoy the food and warmth. I am so thankful that there are kind-hearted people out there caring for those who could use some support, a kind smile, and a warm meal the most. Stories like this renew my faith in humanity. I felt lighter just knowing that this man, who clearly has a tough life, could have just one night warm, safe, dry, well fed, and enjoying a football game, just like any other person, instead of begging for food or shivering in the rain or struggling just to keep going.

– At church they are handing out cardboard storage boxes with a list of 15-20 food items inside. You take the list to the grocery store, purchase the items, fill the box, and bring it back to church the following Sunday. The box is returned to St. Vincent De Paul who gives out the boxes, which are several meals worth of food, to families in need. We don’t make much money, but every month we can pay our rent, fill the car with gas, and get food from the grocery store. We have an awful lot to be thankful for and even without a lot of extra money for us to share with others, the least we can do is take that box, fill it with $40 worth of food and return it so that some other family might have meals this week. I was happy to see such a project in action, and touched to see so many families take one, two, three, or more boxes. Though we may all struggle financially from time to time and have to skimp at the store or buy rice, beans, bread, peanut butter, and Ramen noodles for a while to make ends meet, we really have no idea what it’s like to not be able to feed our husband or wife or child dinner or breakfast because there is literally no money or to go without home or heat or shoes or a coat or a shower or other basic necessities because we can’t even put it on a credit card. I love seeing people, even those who struggle themselves at times, give generously to others. It’s a little thing, but I believe it makes a huge difference.

What random acts of love have you noticed lately?