I was so impressed with the kid that took a big trash bag and picked up aluminum cans and litter along his neighborhood street _ just because it needed to be done. I’m so thankful to the woman in the blue Mercury Sable who kindly let me merge ahead of her during heavy traffic.

Vitriol seems to be off the charts about political candidates, soaring gas prices, protecting the environment and international affairs. Sometimes, I’ve just gotta take a ride or sit quietly to get that stuff out of my head. But you know what? I can find peace when I concentrate on good people and the caring things they do. Some folks just seem to have a heart for helping others. Many are driven by the Golden Rule. You know _ do unto others….

Do-gooders sometimes get a bad name. They are seen as squishy, weak, and too yielding. That’s far from the truth. It takes a lot of courage to say “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong.” It takes sacrifice to give up your time to visit a nursing home and smile with a stranger, or serve hungry people at the soup kitchen in your community. It takes strength to build a relationship when it seems there’s nothing there.

Just think. The 10-year-old boy who picked up the cans could’ve spent that hour playing Wii instead. The woman in the blue Mercury could have blasted her horn and yelled curses as I tried to weave into traffic. And the guy who volunteered for the soup kitchen could’ve chosen to watch the Andy Griffith show or the Twilight Zone on TV Land.

Acts of kindness are occurring more frequently than we’d like to admit. The busyness of life often prevents us from noticing or acknowledging when people do good. We’d rather rant about wrongs.

I’ll bet you know about some good stuff. Comment on this blog and share a do-good story. You’re welcome here.