It's absolutely vital to keep our faith ... in ourselves, in each other, in people in general. If we lose it, if we become cynical, negative doubters and full-time critics, we lose big time - and ultimately, we lose ourselves.
 
But faith, like trust, can be fragile and fleeting. There are so many "pulls" in the opposite direction. Many of us have been appalled by recent events; by man's inhumanity to man, by acts of "terror" that run the gamut from creating wholesale mayhem to...committing unthinkable, heinous acts.
 
Some people have even begun to "root for" people to be mean, to be selfish and to turn the other cheek - or ear - when someone in their path lies broken or dispirited. And just move on.
 
Then they can be "right about how wrong it is" and say, "See? That's how people are today! That's how it is. No one gives a rip about others anymore. You can't really count on anyone." Or, as I overheard  recently from a man on the train,  "I've just stopped believing in people. It's not worth it. All they care about is themselves. That's just the way it is." 
 
But then what? If we lose our faith in people, in their goodness, their humanity, their caring... What do we have left? Bitterness? Resignation? Cynicism?
 
And here's a fact: On the whole, we get what we expect in life. Ultimately, we find what we look for. If we look for selfishness, we find it; for man's inhumanity to man? We find it.
 
So what can we do? We can do a lot. It probably won't be one thing that will change the world overnight.  More likely it will be a lot of small things, things that we can do every day – things that will change us; change the world and restore our faith in each other ... little by little.
 
And here's the good news: There are a lot of good people out there already doing it –the good stuff, that is. Maybe you're one of them ...
 
Here's a story I heard on CNN this morning: A woman lost her wallet. She had almost a hundred dollars in it and was a single mother with three children to take care of. She was beside herself. But not for long. Within an hour, a young man knocked on her door and said simply, "Don't worry, I found your wallet!" and handed it to her. It was completely intact down to the last penny and credit card. The woman told him he was wonderful. "I bet you'd do the same thing," he said. "Of course, I would and I will!" she said,smiling. "Especially after meeting you!"
 
But there are wonderful stories everywhere. Here are a few I chose from an article in The Reader's Digest entitled "24 Stories About the Touching Kindness of Strangers That'll Make You Tear Up." I think you'll like them...
 
The Christmas Story
by Donna Kachnowski, Lebanon, Connecticut
 
In January 2006, a fire destroyed a family's home. In that fire were all the
belongings of a six-year-old boy, including his Christmas presents. A classmate
from his school who had a birthday around then asked her parents if she could
give all her gifts to the boy. That act of kindness will forever warm my heart
because the boy is my grandson.
 
 
The Man in the Market
by Leslie Wagner, Peel, Arkansas
 
When the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries, I was $12 over what I had on
me. I began to remove items from the bags, when another shopper handed me a
$20 bill. "Please don't put yourself out," I told him. "Let me tell you a story," he
said. "My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her
flowers. I went this morning, and she got mad at me for spending my money on
more flowers. She demanded that I do something else with that money. So, here,
please accept this. It is my mother's flowers.
 
 
I Can Still Help
by Mohammed Basha, Gainesville, Florida
 
As I walked through the parking lot, all I could think about was the dire diagnosis
I had handed my patient Jimmy: pancreatic cancer. Just then, I noticed an
elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under his stalled car. That
someone was Jimmy. "Jimmy, what are you doing?" I yelled out. Jimmy dusted
off his pants. "My cancer didn't tell me not to help others, Doc," he said, before
waving at the old man to start the car. The engine roared to life. The old man
thanked Jimmy and drove off. Then Jimmy got into his car and took off as
well. Take-home message: Kindness has no limits and no restrictions.

Gail Blanke's Lifedesigns ©2017 All Rights Reserved

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