It’s been pretty quiet in my neighborhood. With the exception of chirping birds (hooray for spring!) and the occasional dog barking, I haven’t heard much outside my house — and I’m certainly spending a lot of time here.
So, I was almost alarmed the other day when I heard all kinds of beeping and cheering. While working in my living room, I heard an especially loud honk and ran to my porch to discover a fire engine coming down the street. Instead of it speeding to an emergency, it slowly pulled up in front of a home and the driver was waving and shouting “Happy Birthday.” My neighbor turned 4 that day and her family and friends hosted a drive-by of well-wishers to make her day special.
I was so happy for her and so proud of my community.
Then I found out about Carson.
Carson is a 6-year-old who kicked cancer’s butt.
The Munger Hill kindergartener fought and won a battle with lymphoma and as the news spread via social media, Carson’s supporters organized a parade for him in celebration of being cancer-free.
Then there was the Bear Hunt. Residents across the city put bears on their porches, in their windows and on their lawns for passersby to view – from a distance, of course – as a way to connect when we can’t get together. All Stars Dance Center took this a step further and one of its instructors donned a bear costume and drove through neighborhoods around Westfield, playing music and dancing in the streets to spread even more cheer.
What’s that saying? Oh yes – I’m not crying, you’re crying.
While we could all be crying right now from frustration and stress, instead there are moments like these that bring happy tears. These moments show that while we hear reports of people continuing to gather and who are spreading this virus with disregard for others, there is a much larger community staying away and spreading smiles, not germs, whenever possible.
To all those adhering to the guidelines that will help slow the virus and keep more of us healthy, thank you. And to those doing this AND creating ways to spread smiles, you are appreciated more than you know. We want to share these stories, so send us photos of how your family is staying safe and spending time together and If you know someone spreading good cheer, let me know at [email protected],
