Don't Miss The Light

I get overwhelmed with it all too.

The negativity. The division. The hard. The heartbreaking.

It can feel really dark sometimes.

But I'm looking around this week and ya know what?

My little hometown more than doubled their fundraising goal to support the Boys and Girls Club. This organization has poured so much into the community, always, but especially through the hardships of the last year and a half. And people showed up to make sure they could keep on doing just that.

I saw a friend last night who shaved her entire head bald. Because she didn't want her friend battling cancer to have to do hers alone.

Another friend released a book, a gratitude journal for moms and daughters to do together. Such an accomplishment for her. But pretty awesome too for the moms and daughters that will grow closer because of it.

I spied my oldest boys cozied up on the couch together in stitches laughing over a Calvin and Hobbes comic.

The school secretaries were so so nice when I had to drop off a snack that was left at home.... and then thirty minutes later a school picture form.

My mom led a program that got over 60 meals into the homes of needy families on Wednesday. And she'll do it again next week. And the week after. And on.

My youngest hugged my head at bedtime and whispered that he left me a jar of his "special fuzzies" on my pillow. He was so proud. He was so cute! I got that sweet kind of sappy you get when you just know you don't ever want the days of their little treasure gifts to end. And then I laughed out loud, as I realized he plucked them from a floral arrangement in the living room.

Little things. Big things.

Good things are happening. And they're happening right around you.

In your family. In your friendships. In your community.

There is light filtering in!

So look around.

And make sure to soak in that sunshine.

It helps. A lot.