There is good in the world.

It's been a tumultuous week for the human race. The unspeakable tragedy in CT, especially so close to Christmas, with children so young and innocent, has left a lot of us wondering where we, as a nation, are headed; where mistakes were made and how they can be corrected; how someone could commit such a horrific, heartbreaking crime; and, more than anything, why.

I'm not going to wax poetic on the events that occured at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. In fact, I've been trying to avoid the news, both in print and on television, because the way that tragic events like these are glorified and heralded by the media makes me physically ill. It's so easy to get caught up in the hatred, the condemnation, the finger-pointing, as we search for answers. That's not to say that what happened to those poor children and teachers and the losses that their families and the community are dealing with right now should be belittled in any way, shape or form. But what if, instead of getting caught up in the negative, we simply came together as human beings and just... loved?

As of today, it's been three months since my mom died. It's also only seven days until Christmas. It's been a sad, frustrating holiday season for me, and what happened last Friday certainly did not help matters. But after praying for everyone involved, which I continue to do every day, I took a step back and realized that, despite the fact that bad things happen, there really is still so much good in the world. There is still so much to be thankful for. That realization doesn't ease the ache that's been lodged in my chest since the loss of my mom; it doesn't heal the hurt in the hearts of those families that lost children, friends, parents, relatives, teachers, and neighbors; and it certainly doesn't change the fact that we are all going to experience the devestating, humbling grief that results from the loss of a loved one at some point in our lives. But maybe, just maybe, if we learn to look at things a little differently, we can heal a little faster, and love a little easier, and know that, as the ones left behind, we have an obligation to those who have gone before us to be happy, and to learn to find beauty and the joy in the world around us once again.

I've spent a very long time struggling with gratefulness. It's something I have to force myself to focus on each and every day, especially now. My bills are piling up, and work is stressful, and I miss my mom, and a relationship that I had been fairly invested in came to an end, and it's so easy to get bogged down by bitterness and exasperation. But those bills that keep piling up? They're half of what they were at this time last year. Half! So all that scrimping and budgeting and saving over this past year has paid off. Work may be stressful, but I love my job, and I love the people that I work with, which is not something that many people are fortunate enough to be able to say. I may miss my mom, but at least I had a mom for 29 years, and I have lots of wonderful memories to look back on. And I may be sad that the relationship is over, but at least I know that I still have the ability to open myself up to love, no matter how many times my heart is bruised or broken. And every day I wake up is another chance to do something great, to be someone great, and to experience something I've never experienced before. What if, instead of dreading the day ahead, or worrying about the past, we all woke up every morning with gratefulness in our hearts?

There is beauty in the world, in the soft, muted song of a snowfall; in the rejuvenating radiance of a sunrise; in mountains and rivers and the promise of wide-open spaces.

And there is good in the world, in the smiles of strangers; in good deeds done without the expectation of retribution; in the small acts of kindness and love that we share with our loved ones each and every day.

You may just need to change your point of view to see it.