Good people don't have to be people in positions of authority or management or direction. They can just be people who live next to you, people you grew up with, people you meet randomly on the street. The thing I've noticed about good people is they inquire about you first They don't interject their opinion or dictate terms. They ask about your feelings. They ask how you've been. They want to know what you've been up to. They want details, and they want to know for genuine, sincere reasons. The other thing I've noticed about good people is I always feel good after our encounter. Even if the conversations aren't about pleasant circumstances, I feel good. Even if there moment are few or hectic or not nearly as many as I'd like, I feel good afterward.
One of my favorite "good" people had a surprise birthday party in his honor today. If anyone is deserving, it's him. I was a kid when he married my cousin and became a member of the family. Over the years, I've spent progressively more and more time in his presence. I saw him raise some kids, go through good times and bad, experience this thing or that. But always, no matter the day, no matter the time, no matter the situation, his demeanor has seemingly never changed. He's always been a good person. When we cross paths, he has always asked about me first before uttering a word about himself. Always greeted me with a smile. Always left me with a smile. He's seemingly always approached the next minute as he did the one before it.
It's so important to have good people in your life. People you can count on as beacons. People who can guide you through action. People who point the way through their purpose. It's important to have people who are steady. Good people don't have to be anything but themselves. I'm not sure how good people are created or shaped or change or don't change. I'm not sure why they are the way they are. I'm not sure why there aren't more good people, and why we can't stop long enough to bear witness to the way their live their lives day in and day out and learn from it. I'm not sure why more people aren't willing to pass the credit to others. To share the glory. To position themselves second instead of first. I include myself among this group. Thankfully, though, I feel I can at least recognize the good people I've been fortunate enough to have land in my life and sense their value and revel in it when I can. I've been blessed to know many such people, and although it might have taken me a while to realize there was much I could learn and mimic, I'm glad I'm doing so now.
One of my favorite "good" people had a surprise birthday party in his honor today. If anyone is deserving, it's him. I was a kid when he married my cousin and became a member of the family. Over the years, I've spent progressively more and more time in his presence. I saw him raise some kids, go through good times and bad, experience this thing or that. But always, no matter the day, no matter the time, no matter the situation, his demeanor has seemingly never changed. He's always been a good person. When we cross paths, he has always asked about me first before uttering a word about himself. Always greeted me with a smile. Always left me with a smile. He's seemingly always approached the next minute as he did the one before it.
It's so important to have good people in your life. People you can count on as beacons. People who can guide you through action. People who point the way through their purpose. It's important to have people who are steady. Good people don't have to be anything but themselves. I'm not sure how good people are created or shaped or change or don't change. I'm not sure why they are the way they are. I'm not sure why there aren't more good people, and why we can't stop long enough to bear witness to the way their live their lives day in and day out and learn from it. I'm not sure why more people aren't willing to pass the credit to others. To share the glory. To position themselves second instead of first. I include myself among this group. Thankfully, though, I feel I can at least recognize the good people I've been fortunate enough to have land in my life and sense their value and revel in it when I can. I've been blessed to know many such people, and although it might have taken me a while to realize there was much I could learn and mimic, I'm glad I'm doing so now.
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