Just Here To Thank You

I want to give a hug to the 99 percent of humanity who will awake with the sun today and try to do it all right before falling into bed at the end of the day.

Most of us do the best we can to take care of our families, pay our bills, keep our homes running, and hold our chins up in what I believe are some of the most turbulent times in human history.

There's no one in the world that is assigned to the task of thanking you for doing no harm, for hanging in there and keeping the faith, so I anointed myself Chief Thanker today, if that's okay with you.

We don't focus enough on what is right with the world. Even if it seems to be a small list, I want to remind you that all around us there are regular folks doing heroic things, and small miracles and acts of kindness continually sprout up in the daily course of human life that often go unnoticed.

I bet you never heard of the guy who walked into a bar in Roswell, Georgia and walked out with a new kidney. The man had lost both his kidneys to cancer, and the waitress, who had lost her beloved grandmother to kidney failure, offered him one of hers.

Today, both patient and donor are doing well after surgery and recovering in an Atlanta hospital.

And maybe you didn't know that celebrity chef Jose Andres is in Puerto Rico right now feeding hungry survivors after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

He hopes to serve up 45,000 meals over the course of his stay and the menu sounds good: ten thousand sandwiches, ten thousand chicken with rice dishes, along with big vats of paella—-all served up in huge roadside pots.

And while we might not not be feeling lots of love for our professional football players this month, wait until you hear what Houston rookie pro player Deshaun Watson did last week: he handed over his first paycheck to three stadium cafeteria workers who had lost everything in Hurricane Harvey.

That $28,000 will go a long way in helping those three women get back on their feet.

“For what you all do for us every day and never complain, I really appreciate you all, so I wanted to give my first game check to y'all to help y'all out in some type of way," Watson told them. “Here you guys go."

After he handed them his paycheck, there wasn't a dry eye in the cafeteria, or the city of Houston for that matter.

And I probably don't need to remind you how many selfless people are out there taking good care of our abused or missing furry friends.

Just last week, two hikers climbed up a steep mountain in Colorado to rescue a pup who had been stranded on top for a month.

The hikers had heard rumors of a barking dog in their mountainous neighborhood, so they set out and called for the dog for four hours with no response. But they refused to give up. The couple climbed chute after chute and finally heard a faint bark.

“We got her!” one of the hikers yelled.

The once 90-pound dog weighed just 26 pounds when she was returned to her owners that day, but she is now recovering.

And how about the man at a Target store in Oklahoma who handed a $20 dollar bill to a two-year-old boy in a shopping cart?

The boy had been admiring three toy dinosaurs and the man told his mother to buy them for him.

“I just lost my own baby grandson last week,” the man said, “so it would make me happy to do something nice for your son today.”

The recent hurricanes gave humanity a giant peek at how selfless and good people truly are: there was the millionaire who opened his home to 60 foster kids whose homes didn't have power; the sports figure who raised more than 30 million dollars for victims of Harvey in Houston; the hundreds of rescues of victims and pets by everyday-people-turned-heroes in canoes and fishing boats.

There was the man at a Florida Home Depot buying the last generator who gave it up for the woman crying behind him who had children to feed.

The store rewarded him by giving him a free generator when the next shipment came in.

And there were dozens of stories of newly-minted heroes last week in Las Vegas.

There is an abundance of good on this earth. We, the downtrodden, dealing with corrupt politicians and high food bills and the outsourcing of our jobs and high rates of cancer and the horrible news blasting away on our television sets…

We are capable of such goodness.

And so I, just one of the grateful today, want to truly thank you for letting your good shine through.

Thank YOU for reminding us of this! Seems like the world is going to he$$ in a hand basket, and people are evil, ugly things. I know I needed to read this...

a reply to: MRuss

Beyond wonderful thread MRuss.

Peace and blessings.

a reply to: MRuss

Your post brought me to tears. There is good in the world. I always try to do good, but like many have brought some bad as well for which I am truly sorry, even though at times, being bad is what brings about good. But I wish I never had to go there.

Best wishes! And thank you for reminding me and the rest of us that things aren't always bad.

Made my eyes tear up as well. Thank you for such a beautiful thread.
While my own life isn't so great right now, I try to think of at least one good thing everyday. And try to smile and say hello to a stranger every morning. Something that small might actually make a difference to someone, someday.


Wouldn't it be nice, if the media (local and national) would concentrate more on these stories, and only report on the bad, as almost an afterthought?

I can dream.

a reply to: chiefsmom

I wish you good luck in dealing with all of the issues life on earth throws your way. I know it's not easy---lord, do I know, but you keep on getting up everyday, knowing in your heart you can handle whatever comes your way.

It's impossible to lead a trouble-free life, so what we have to shoot for is resilience, patience and courage.

a reply to: MRuss




*speechless*

I love these stories. We should all strive to be included in one some day.

Thank you, you just made my day!

a reply to: MRuss



I have been talking about just this the past few days, online and at home. Multiple disasters, and instead of the negative reports we were seeing in the past, we see report after report of people helping one another, extending a hand to neighbors in need, aiding strangers while risking themselves, and so forth. It's an amazing thing to see! Makes me have a little more hope for our nation.

So, thanks for the thread, and I will add my thanks, to all who do what is right, to selflessly help one another, and ignore all of the divisions we are told are important. People are showing that caring is important, and that we aren't nearly as divided as some would have us believe. That's a beautiful thing!

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: MRuss

*speechless*

I second that emotion.

The emotion carries.

What an unusual read and especially these days on ATS. You are truly a gifted writer with a light spirit to see the good in our lives. I needed to hear those lovely stories and that humankind is capable of so much love for one another.
Received such bad news in my life this week-and I needed to hear your words of patience and resilience. Thank you for being here and sharing. Your thoughts have affected me so positively.

Wow!! THANK YOU for sharing this it bought me to tears, if only we heard more positive news like this in the media ect I think our minds & hearts would be healthier. It made me pause & think about how much my mood is affected by hearing such beautiful stories & how what we watch & hear affects us. Of course I've always understood that reading & watching news about current events makes us upset angry & worried, but after reading your post I realised just how much we are bombarded with the negative that we completely miss the huge amounts of good going on around us, so much in fact some of us are bought to tears by hearing it. Thankyou for reminding us of what we're missing all around us.

Thank you for an uplifting thread . Focusing on the positive , when it seems that nothing but negative is hitting us from all angles is the key to sanity and a more fulfilling life.

I tell my son when he gets down about world disasters and senseless deaths , to try and focus on making your little part of the world better. Do what you can to help victims ( within your means ) , but don't forget random acts of kindness in the little things you can do for friends, family, nieghbors and strangers down on their luck .

We can't erase all the negative overnight , but if everyone on this planet tried to make their little bubble of life a better place for fellow humans , this world could make giant leaps of improvement. The stories of humans doing this brings tears of joy to the heart , and they also translate well to movies ( I enjoy feel good movies that give your soul inspiration to be a more loving human) ... and it's something I need to be reminded of.

Another one here who is teary eyed after reading your post.

There are tragic things that happen all over the world every day and we are overwhelmed at times, but...there is also great compassion, kindness and love. Thank you so very much for bringing some light into our lives with your thoughtful thread!