Desperate times require desperate measures.
You know you’re in trouble when you turn on the Hallmark movie and you’ve already seen it. But in this day and age of craziness, fear, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by everything around us, feel-good programs are the elixir. Watching programs with happy endings is what’s called for.
I recently started watching the series from the 80’s called, Highway to Heaven. It starred Michael Landon. He became famous as “Little Joe” on Bonanza, a famous Western series in the 60’s.
After fourteen seasons he had such clout and fame he went on to star, direct, write and produce future shows. In what most people knew him best for, he played Charles Ingalls in the 1979’s TV series, Little House on the Prairie. And finally, Highway to Heaven before dying from pancreatic cancer in 1991. For him, the message of each series was simple- humanity had veered off its true path but it wasn’t a lost cause, every one of us has the ability to push it gently back where it belongs. He believed the old proverb, “You only get what you give”, and that there is a correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefit one receives. If you lived your life giving out goodness kindness thoughtfulness, compassion, they come back to you.
At one point in a Highway to Heaven episode when he has to stop a truck with his angel powers in order to get a ride, the driver tells him it’s a hard, cruel world. He looks him in the eye and asks in earnest, “Why do you let it be that way?” The man sputters, flustered, “It just is”.
“You can change it, you can start with you” replies Michael Langdon.
When my daughter was little, before she understood certain social norms, she used to constantly smile and try to engage those on tours with us or standing in lines for rides, asking them the most personal and intimate things no adult would even consider asking.
“Where are you from?”
“Who is this next to you?”
“How old are you?”
“Where are you going?”
In most cases it was fascinating to see peoples’ reactions. She was an adorable, precocious little girl, obviously interested in actually learning who they were. Unlike adults who sit or stand inches apart only offering an occasional awkward smile. It was truly amazing to watch as they opened up and responded to her kindness. All because she was interested in finding out who they were and connecting as individuals. With the innocence and beauty of a child, she didn’t realize that was taboo.
At the height of the pandemic, I remember hearing a piece on the news where people were showing the unsung heroes – delivery people, healthcare workers, grocery staff- their thanks for staying on the front lines and continuing to do the work required to keep us alive, regardless of the potential consequences. So, I placed a note on my front door and told the courageous UPS, USPS, FedEx, and Amazon drivers-
“Thank you for your service and please take a bag of chips taped to the door.”
In the beginning nothing happened. Then one day I came home, and a bag was gone. In its place were a bunch of notices UPS leaves behind to tell you a package couldn’t be delivered. Written all over every one was “thank you, thank you, thank you!” I had made their day and they had brought a smile to mine.
Two strangers touched each other and said, I hear you, I see you. Sometimes reaching out and connecting is all it takes to remind us those suffering and overwhelmed are just like us. They are our neighbors. Isolation breeds anger, hatred and ugliness. That’s why going beyond the awkward smile by talking and interacting with each other is so important. To remind us that humanity is built on every human life and every life matters.
Kindness goes a long way to filling our hearts and souls with hope and love.
With hope and love no one feels alone and scared.
