Look for the Helpers

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world." ~Fred Rodgers

Over the past year, tragedy upon tragedy seems to have struck. Each coming a little closer to home until this past week when we experienced Hurricane Matthew. It’s easy to get caught up in the damage and destruction of such a crisis. However, as things calm down it’s been beautiful and reassuring to see and read the stories of how people have helped each other. Many people opened their homes to strangers who had to evacuate. Others provided freezer and refrigerator storage for those who lost their power. There were other stories of restaurants providing food for the first responders. In times of crisis, it’s natural (and rightfully so) for us to focus on ourselves and the safety of our loved ones and belongings. For me, personally, looking at these stories, made me question what else I could be doing, even in the smallest capacity, to help those who had suffered more than I. When we focus on helping others, how much more peace and comfort we can bring into this world!