Seeing the good

There certainly is little debate that we are in the midst of some unprecedented times as we grap- ple with the coronavirus pandemic.

As I checked in on my parents this past weekend, my 86-year-old father shared how he has never experienced anything like this during his lifetime. It seems like life as we know it is essentially shutting down right before our eyes. In many cases, it changes by the hour.

In recent years, I have noticed a change in society as a whole. It seems like everyone is so fixated on displaying a “me first” attitude as they go about their daily lives. Many people function with the drive to only look out for themselves.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not crazy about how the world is changing so rapidly in light of the pandemic. It’s downright scary in many ways. But I’m also hopeful and optimistic that something greater will come out of all of this.

Maybe it will force fami- lies to become, well families again. How about remembering those people who live in your house instead of sailing onto the next event, activity or business venture? It shows we can survive without sports and many other unnecessary distractions.

Perhaps it will motivate people to do something
good for others rather than focusing on what’s in it for me. Just maybe we can slow down this rat race that we call life. And I’m just going out on the limb with this one, but maybe this is God’s way of shaking us all up and forcing us to slow down.

Despite the gloomy times that are likely ahead of us in regards to the economy and world markets, I have no doubt that we will come out of this stronger than ever.
It will force us all to think outside the box, be creative and do things differently than what we’ve grown used to doing.

This is the time we all need to take care of others and just be kind to one another. Seeing some of
the videos of people around the world playing music or singing on their balconies is heartwarming.

I encourage everyone to see the good in what’s happening around us during these difficult days. I want to know about the positive things people are doing in our communities whether it’s through church, non-profit groups and organizations or just anybody in general. If somebody

is doing something good, whether as part of a group or as an individual, I want to know about it.

This is not the time to hide these acts of kindness. These kinds of stories will help bring a more positive outlook into everyone’s life. And we all need a little more of that during this dark time in our country.

If you have something to share about seeing the good, please email me at bprick@frontier.com or call our office at 507-583- 4431. In the coming weeks, we are going to make a concentrated effort to share the “see the good” stories with our readers. Let us in on what’s happening out there so we can share it with everyone else. During this crisis, no act of kindness or good should go unnoticed.

The world is a dark place, but only if you let it be that way. We can make this world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

Mygoalistogoinhot pursuit of seeing the good of our communities over the coming weeks.