Phew! After the roller coaster ride that was 2020, we were all looking forward to a new start. And the first two weeks of 2021 — well, it’s been … interesting.
What is it that Mr. Rogers used to say? When times are tough, look to the helpers.
So I thought it might be nice to look at the good things happening all around us in this chaotic time.
One story that really struck me this week was about a group of veterans led by David Smith, a combat medic who served in Afghanistan and retired only a month ago. Last week he looked at all the trash left behind after the unrest in Washington and felt terrible. Within a day he had organized a group of fellow-vets to clean up the mess.
On January 10, close to 200 veterans fanned out over downtown Washington. They divided into five groups and each took an area, converging on the Capitol.
“It was like a massive street sweep,” Smith told the Washington Post. “We left no stone unturned. It was amazing.”
Smith organized the cleanup campaign through social media, calling on a group he started called Continue to Serve. He wants to encourage veterans to get involved in community service.
I like to think this is the spirit we are all bringing into this new year.
