“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
―
This week, hope seemed to be jumping up all around me shouting… Over here! and Look at me! Yes, hope was overflowing and it filled me! Lots of people doing things that can never be repaid.
My community has a place where those with an abundance can give to those in need. I am always amazed at the generosity of this community, but this week one incredible woman… oh my lands…knit and donated 7 pairs of hand knit socks! This extraordinary act might have brought tears to my eyes! I mean… what a wonder!
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Last week there were so many people who “did something” that can never be repaid. Eugene Goodman is one of those people. I have had Officer Goodman on my mind all week and it made me happy to read that he is being considered for the Congressional Gold Medal. This nation owes him a debt of gratitude and he gives me so much hope!
I follow a plethora of people on Twitter, but one person I follow never ceases to inspire me, to make me think, to make me stop and consider. They did that this week in a big way with this letter that felt like it was written to me. In the letter, Pastor Emily frankly discussed the anger they felt… anger that I too was feeling… then they opened the window to let hope in:
“Perhaps I am writing this letter more to myself than anyone else, but I sense that there are others who might feel the same as I do tonight. To us I say this: there is hope. There is hope, because there is the knowledge that this is not the way things should be. There is hope because we care enough to not look away.”
I would like to thank Pastor Emily for allowing me to share their words here.
Andy Slavitt has been posting “nightly COVID updates” for months, and last night’s update was so full of hope! It’s a long thread but worth the read! And it appears that Andy will be joining President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 Team!
Finally, a commenter last week shared a brilliant bit of hope! Jane’s words really lifted me:
“I have to say I hit a wall on Friday afternoon. Then I read about Nancy Pelosi. At 80 years old, she faced madmen with assault rifles, stayed up until 4:30 a.m. to make sure the House certified Biden’s election, and then got to work drafting articles of impeachment. What a heroine!!”
A week that just overflowed with hope…(and if you need one tiny bit more…since December 21 the Pittsburgh daylight has increased by 19 minutes and 23 seconds – Yahoo!)
Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here next week!
I’d really like to know who it was in my congregation who knit those socks! I’ll see if I can find out. But those handknits I posted on my blog yesterday? Those are all going to the Free Store. Also, I noticed yesterday at a little after 5 that it was still light out and did a little happy dance!
Thanks for providing so much hope, Kat! The Free Store is an amazing place and that knitter is incredibly generous with her time. All of the people you have told us about have said and done wonderful things, and the return of so much light is enlightening (sorry!).
Wonderful post Kat! Yes, there is so much HOPE out there. Wonderful! Happy Weekend.
Thank you for sharing all of these hopeful stories. It is good to focus on the positive new administration that is going to be working for our country.
I’ve found myself looking forward to these weekly posts – thank you!
And thank you for sharing Pastor Emily’s words – I was happy to see they live in NH when I clicked on the Twitter link. You’ve reminded me that there some VERY GOOD work being done on Twitter, despite my general dislike of the site.
I am so excited about the return of light… I’m noticing it at night, especially. I’m holding out HOPE for flower gardens this spring 🙂
I hope you have an amazing weekend.
Pastor Emily’s words…did they ever resonate. As did SO MUCH here, Kat–I heard myself saying Yes! Yes! Yes! Nancy Pelosi as heroine. Yes. This is an UP to the start of the weekend. Thank you.
Thanks for the shout-out. Thank you for finding so much hope. I have also noted the light is lingering a little longer in the evening.
thank you for the hope tendrils that are sprouting and growing 🙂
Yes, there is much hope to be found. More hours of daylight- yes please. This is making a huge difference for me when my work day is over.