Click here to subscribe today or Login.
A friend posted a quote the other day that really got me thinking.
“Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasure that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.”
It comes from Ben Franklin and is obviously a dated quote, but really got me thinking.
Right now, we aren’t seeing grandiose excitement come our way or celebrating milestones as we usually would. For many, life is quieter than it has ever been.
Therefore, we have to embrace and find our happiness in those small moments when they do come our way.
Here are some things I’ve seen recently that made me smile and reminded me how important the small, simple things are:
• Acts of kindness: I’ve consistently seen people going out of their way. I’ve seen several friends reach out to people in difficult life situations offering dinner delivery and emotional support. Knowing that others care is vital for those who are struggling. It’s uplifting to see such outreach.
• Small business support: I’ve said it before, but small businesses need our assistance more than ever right now. They’re the lifeblood of our communities, always giving, donating and employing. Whenever I see a small business post about what they’re doing to survive this pandemic, my heart goes out to them. I think about the people behind those businesses, too, and all the effort it takes. Most recently my friend Jeff Piazza, a small business owner of the White House Diner, took over operation of the Fort Café, a staple in Forty Fort. He has a fabulous new menu which I can’t wait to try. Being able to support small business is a blessing.
• Following the rules: Many people genuinely want to follow the rules. Sure, it gets a bit confusing wearing a mask to a restaurant or in a retail store. Knowing when it’s acceptable to take it off, what is allowed and isn’t, and more can be confusing. From my observation, people want to do what’s right. We all just need to have patience as we navigate and to remember that people are generally good-natured.
For me, I was most happy on Tuesday last week during the virtual showing of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce’s EPIC Awards. I was truly inspired by all the good work the award recipients perform and hope that the hundreds who watched were, too.
Small gatherings happened throughout the Wyoming Valley at restaurants, including Canteen Park, the Westmoreland Club, Rodano’s and Cork Bar & Restaurant, where big screen TVs were set up for viewing.
For many people, it was their first public outing in months.
What better time to go out, socially distance and imbibe than when you are feeling energized by “Extraordinary People Inspiring Community?”
We covered the event extensively in the Times Leader, so I don’t need to recap the entire evening other than to say that seeing all of the congratulatory words and messages bestowed upon the recipients was truly moving.
As long as we keep saying nice things to each other, we’ll survive this pandemic together.
Mike McGinley is the Times Leader Media Group’s major accounts executive. Reach him at mmcginley@www.timesleader.com or 570-704-3945.