Won’t You Be A Neighbor?
Yesterday I wrote a post about a local organization in my community, VCAM, who serves the underprivileged and critically needs donations of food and supplies.
In the article I quoted a story about Fred Rogers, who said his mother told him when he was young that in times of disaster, 'you should always look for the helpers. There are always people trying to help.'
There is so much kindness and goodness in the world, even as viral videos of people fighting over toilet paper flood our social media feed.
Where are you seeing helpers? Are you a helper? Who needs the most help? These are questions we might ask ourselves in the days ahead.
Perhaps, now more than ever, repeating Mrs. Rogers advice to our own children might be the message they need to hear the most.
In the spirit of Fred Rogers, you might consider starting with checking in on your neighbor. What might that look like during a time of social distancing? How about a phone call, a social media message, a note written after you've washed your hands and delivered it to their doorstep? A visit from across the fence, across the lawn?
There are ways we can spread goodness just as fast as any virus.
As a bonus, doing good makes us feel better too. It's a sensation known as " helper's high." Our brain releases endorphins when we help which might be just what we need in the weeks ahead as well. We just have to take one step forward to do our part to help. Even if it never goes viral on social media, it can go viral in our neighborhoods. Fred would be proud.
Just for fun, here are 23 of the best Wilson "over the fence scenes" from Home Improvement thanks to Best of Ken.