Nagy

“To change the world, we must be good to those who cannot repay us.” — Pope Francis

How true those words are. We must become the examples, the peacemakers, the ones who choose love. We must be lovers of our fellow human beings.

Sometimes I catch myself whining or complaining about life and the fact that I’m getting older. Then I remind myself how fortunate I truly am. I have lived long enough to grow old. I have a roof over my head, food on my table (perhaps a little too much chocolate), and countless blessings that many people never have.

My children have grown into people I am incredibly proud of. My hope is that I continue growing into someone they can be equally proud to call their parent.

Today I watched a doe with her two fawns leaping and playing. Even after all these years, the sight filled my heart with joy. Moments like that remind me why I love northern Michigan–the trees, the wildlife, and especially the people.

I believe every person has the capacity for kindness, even those who sometimes seem to have none. We rarely know what burdens or hardships have shaped another person’s actions. So let us forgive others their trespasses, just as we hope they will forgive ours. We are all human, each capable of both great compassion and great wrong.

May Mother Nature, and the God you believe in, bless you. May your days be filled with peace, kindness, and gratitude, and may you continue to enjoy the beauty of northern Michigan.