I was woken this morning by the loud noise of heavy machinery, hammers and saws as the workmen showed up next door to begin the next phase of cleaning up the wreckage of home demolished by a fallen tree.

Again and again I am blown away by the resiliency of the human spirit. People moving forward after the unthinkable and putting one foot in front the other to do the work that must done to carry on.

Wether watching friends press on through the gut wrenching loss of a child, a community drain and clean up after natural disaster or a nation staggering back to it’s feet after receiving a hateful sucker punch from cowardice terrorists, when the sun rises and sometimes before, there is this amazing element of the human spirit that kicks in and soon people are coming together to hold hands, clean wounds, move debris.

In today’s world one only look down at the news feed on your cell to see examples of the worst in folks. Liars, cheats, killers… there’s plenty of that and it hurts to see and can easily bring one down if that’s what you focus on.

I’m not advocating denial but I am recommending after acknowleging  those realities that we equally, no, disproportionately acknowledge and tap in to the rest of the bigger narrative.

People making comebacks, communities putting their energy and resources into improvement and rebuilding (even when catastrophe has not struck) and we as members of a nation recognizing the commonality we share as countrymen and women and citizens of the planet.

Choose your lens and focus carefully and I encourage each of us to be part of the clean up, the rebuilding and improving before, during and after the hard times hit.

Train smart, have fun and never give up,

PCD