Our foundation of good

Fall foliage is illuminated while hiking up Cadillac Mountain in Maine earlier this month. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Despite so much struggle, we're still here — with all that entails, including hope. 

This thought came to mind while reflecting on the many challenges of recent months, in which people have grappled with wave upon wave of changes in their lives. We've been through so much, but at the same time, there is a lot of good being shared.

We're still sharing our music and poetry, we're helping our neighbors in need, we're celebrating special moments in our lives — or even making socially distanced celebrations possible for others. 

I was treated to a celebration last week, hearing the Woodstock group The Wednesday Poets read their work on the steps of Norman Williams Public Library. Two-dozen community members showed up to listen, and everyone was engaged in this wonderful, profound sharing. It was socially distanced, yet intimate, because something from someone else's soul reached out and touched yours. When someone shares their talent with you, you're deeply engaged with that individual, and it gives new meaning to those precious moments. 

Those are the kinds of moments people are missing these days, and it's the reason why that poetry reading was so well received by everyone there. I expect those kinds of events to pop up more often (done safely of course), because we really can't do without them for too long. They speak to who we really are, and how connected we really are.

Other things that connect us are the challenges we face. They're part of what this experience entails, too. As we've seen, there is much to take on in this world, and much that needs to be resolved. From COVID-19 and the economy to racial injustice, it can seem like too much at once. 

But then, we're reminded about how amazing we are, and how much propensity for good there really is. Through small, steady steps, we can muster the goodness and love that underpins our very being, and join hands to find the solutions this world needs, in a way that makes people want to unify. The journey is long, but it's ours to walk, and the time to move forward is now. 

— Gareth Henderson