Where’s the Light in the Dark Days Ahead?

Aaaaah February. If there’s a month that I feel like hibernating…it’s February. The big holidays are over. Orion’s riding silently through the night sky. Spring is still asleep underground.

So tonight I’ll explore where I see light in the days ahead:

1. At the mall. Believe it or not, stores were crammed this weekend.  People carried sacks, so someone must be buying something…just not as much.  (Do we really need so much stuff?)
2. Within businesses. I just interviewed a business owner for an article and he told me that he had made quite a few internal changes in the way he priced their product and did business. Formerly, he charged top-retail, and turned people away if they didn’t like his prices.  Now he’s negotiating with both his customers and his suppliers. (So, now he’s running his business more efficiently.)
3. Within communities. While large urban newpapers are suffering from the diminishing national advertising, small community papers are doing pretty well. Many of them lost their national advertising several years ago and developed other local sources.  (It’s a good feeling to be true to your community)
4. Within a Sea of Strangers. Our local newspaper relates the story of a woman who tried to attend the inauguration in D.C. Several catastrophes occured including loosing her purse and her plane ticket. She went on to tell of the numerous stangers who gave her money, gave her rides and helped her get home. (And her purse was found and sent to her–with it’s contents!!! Someone saw it sitting at the bus stop where she’d left it and turned it in)

It reminds me that the world is really full of good people, there’s just a few  that make it seem dark and frightening.  Then I wonder about my February moodiness and why don’t I “help out more ?”

Probably because I’m wrapped up with my own life, my own worries, my own dark nights.

Focusing on my own problems keeps me from seeing what others need.

There is no hope inside of worry. Maybe I should make February the Month of “Stepping OUT” of my hibernation. It only takes a little  giving to put more hope in the world…doesn’t it?

Wanna join me?  Let your light shine!