Look to help

“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.” ― Fred Rogers

I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately, and it keeps coming back to me as things just seem to go from bad to worse in the news we're all hearing.

My job, as a person living where I am, and with the capabilities I have in my life, is not to change the world. I can't do it. I don't know how. I don't know how I can fix everything I see that's broken, everything I see that weighs on my heart.

But I have the ability to make a difference to one person at a time.

Some days it doesn't feel like much. A drop against the weight of the ocean. But the impact I can have on one person matters to them, and ultimately matters back to me.

I think of the countless people who helped me along in my life, and the way they shaped my future, as well as the future of my family. They didn't have to do it, they may have thought it was falling on deaf ears (it mostly was if I'm being honest), but it did make an impact, did change me, did help me in my life.

And so, as the news breaks every hour, as we hear of the horrors in our world, the only thing I can think to do is look around me and see who needs help.

I'm sure this is short sighted, I'm sure I'm missing something. A braver version of me would do more, and I wrestle with that; every day.

But for now, I'll do what I can, one person at a time.