If You're Happy and You Know It

The Good is out there.  Is anyone paying attention?  The Bad is like a brat having a tantrum in the breakfast cereal aisle monopolizing everyone's attention.  Everyone goes home from the grocery store talking about the Bad.  I'm no different.  We talk on and on about the metaphorical brat in the cereal aisle.  It's unavoidable.  He's all over the internet and the evening news.

Thank you for instant communications technology.

And the good child, independent, trustworthy, and responsible, is paid little heed.  [I mean, why would we take notice; he (or she) requires nothing from us.]  The Good is quietly going about life out in the world but seldom makes headlines--not even a link on CNN.com "Around the Internet."  If the Good is not shocking, celebrity, morbid, Bad, or a cute cat you'll be hard pressed to find it in your newsfeed.

Thank you for cute cats, btw.

It is not easy, but I try to see Good.  It takes some effort. Take, for example, Tuesday.  Tuesday Jeannette had Drew's car.  I had to pick him up at work.  We had to wait for Lindsey to get out of dance practice.  We picked up dinner on the way home.  It was almost 7pm by the time we got home.  That could be Bad.  But

• Jeannette spent the day doing what she loves on an archaeological dig at the La Brea Tar Pits
• I got a TON of work done in my peaceful classroom long after the students had gone
• Drew and I got to see five fire trucks drive up, sirens blaring, and just park [very odd]
• We were all home and dinner [and paper dishes] finished by 7pm and I didn't have to cook

You see?  IT'S ALL REALLY VERY GOOD.

Thank you for the Good that is there, if we look for it.

So, here are some headlines NOT on CNN.com:

• Betty is out of surgery and up and walking around [prayers answered]
• Cindy and June had birthdays, and we've been eating cheesecake all week [yummy]
• The Soul Food Crew served Biscuits and Gravy with oven fried chicken for dinner at church last night [reminded me of my dad]
• "Person of Interest" is on tv tonight [James Caviezel kicks bad guy @$$ as Mr. Reese]
• Katie S. said she read my blog because she wanted to start her day with a positive message [I'm exhausted from all my happy dancing]
• British MPs voted 400-175 in favor of same-sex marriage [let's do that, too]

Thank you for surgeons, cream cheese, memories of Dad, Jim Caviezel's suits, Katie, marriage equality, and happy dances.

There will be days, even weeks or months, when you feel like it's all bad news.  There is a lot of it.  The media has redefined the saying, "No news is good news."  Like, literally, NO news is Good; if it's Good, it's not news.  So make your own news.  Celebrate your own headlines.

Thank you, God, for the happy headlines.