Had a moment today that reminded me of a nice girl at McDermont a year and a half ago. I was 8 months pregnant with Keira--in other words, very slow and nothing even remotely close to agile--and hanging out near the end of building A while Keilana, Dylan and Kylie played in the bounce houses. Kylie was just over two, but she loved the bounce houses and played pretty independently in them.
She was in one by herself (and these bounce houses are 3 and 4 times bigger than the ones you usually see at birthday parties) when suddenly the fans blew out and it immediately started to collapse. Kylie shrieked, and a teenage girl who had been playing basketball about 15 feet away turned and, without hesitation, dove into the quickly-diminishing entry into the bounce house and snaked her way to the opposite side, grabbed Kylie and piggy-backed her out, crawling.
Those things are big and deceptively heavy and she was a young toddler who could've easily suffocated or passed out before I could've got to her in my condition, or if a few more seconds had gone by before I could get someone else's attention and they had to struggle to get through the entrance. But other than being a little freaked out, she was fine. By then end of the hour, she was playing in the bounce houses again (securely next to her big sister).
That experience stuck in my mind because in that moment I was so painfully aware of my helplessness, but the fact is that there are kind people around all the time that do thoughtful and helpful things for me or my family without ever being asked.
When a random evil act occurs, especially in this age, where there is immediate and constant media coverage, its easy to feel like the whole world is going to hell. Its easy to feel like there are suspects everywhere. But for all its heartache and evil and senseless, there are still many, many good people in the world, quietly and persistently doing good to and for others. Many more good people than bad still, I'd be willing to wager. Don't focus on the bad you cannot control. Focus on the good you can do.
". . .let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism."
~Max Ehrmann
She was in one by herself (and these bounce houses are 3 and 4 times bigger than the ones you usually see at birthday parties) when suddenly the fans blew out and it immediately started to collapse. Kylie shrieked, and a teenage girl who had been playing basketball about 15 feet away turned and, without hesitation, dove into the quickly-diminishing entry into the bounce house and snaked her way to the opposite side, grabbed Kylie and piggy-backed her out, crawling.
Those things are big and deceptively heavy and she was a young toddler who could've easily suffocated or passed out before I could've got to her in my condition, or if a few more seconds had gone by before I could get someone else's attention and they had to struggle to get through the entrance. But other than being a little freaked out, she was fine. By then end of the hour, she was playing in the bounce houses again (securely next to her big sister).
That experience stuck in my mind because in that moment I was so painfully aware of my helplessness, but the fact is that there are kind people around all the time that do thoughtful and helpful things for me or my family without ever being asked.
When a random evil act occurs, especially in this age, where there is immediate and constant media coverage, its easy to feel like the whole world is going to hell. Its easy to feel like there are suspects everywhere. But for all its heartache and evil and senseless, there are still many, many good people in the world, quietly and persistently doing good to and for others. Many more good people than bad still, I'd be willing to wager. Don't focus on the bad you cannot control. Focus on the good you can do.
". . .let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism."
~Max Ehrmann
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