Last week, like most day's, I was up well before the sun, and ready to work out. I walked out the door, and was "warming up" which means I walk to the end of my street before I start running.
Mornings are my favorite time of day. Its dark, its quiet, and it holds the promise of a new day. A day for fun, laughter, love. For me, the best day's begin early with me sweating profusely. I love working out hard, and coming back to the house a sweaty mess. It makes me feel like I earned my shower. I like to know that most mornings, I will see the same few souls gutting out mile after mile. Training and pushing themselves for whatever goal that lies ahead.
There is a man that I've noticed in the mornings. He is not a runner. He is not athletic. But, every morning, he is up, taking a slow stroll up and down our street. Each morning, he stops in front of the homes that subscribe to the newspaper. He picks the paper up from the sidewalk, and drops it on their door step. Then, he slowly walk away and makes his way again down the street.
I've seen him do this many times, but for some reason, last week, it really struck me. It is such a small act of kindness, of courteousness, of love. It costs him nothing. It gains him nothing. Yet, every morning, he is out on the street doing this.
Maybe its because there is so many terrible things going on in the world right now. Maybe its because everyday we hear about people hurting or killing one another. I see images of parents and children being forced from their homes and running for their lives in the desert a half a world away. I see unarmed kids being shot. I see rioting and looting. Or, worst of all, seeing a reporter being brutally killed, with the video flying all over the internet. There is so much anger, so much hate, so much darkness.
But, once in a while, you see something kind. Something loving. No matter how small, no matter how little, it helps. I had so much trouble sleeping last night as the images of what I have seen raced through my head. Its so easy to forget there is good in the world.
This week, I want to be a blessing. There is only one way I know how to defeat darkness, and that is with love. Light will always over come darkness.
3 comments:
so true - thank you for this reminder to be the light in the world as there is plenty of darkness.
I'm about to head out for a run - as I am on vacation today! You know, I love morning runs too!
I hope you have a fabulous day -
This was a great post and I was so in need of it right now. It's so special to see things like that every once in a while and feel a sort of connection with some sort of goodness in the world. You're right, it is so easy to forget that it exists lately. I think if you give people the opportunity to, and if you look in the right places, they will surprise you and help you realize how good humanity is at its very core. Thanks for sharing this :)
thank you for sharing! sometimes the blessing is in the doing, sometimes its in the telling.
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