"Look for the Helpers"

"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."
-Samwise Gamgee, The Two Towers

Mary Kate Wiles tweeted that quote yesterday, one of my favorites from all of the Lord of the Rings movies. I say movies because it's not a quote taken from the books at all. It's part of a speech Sam gives to Frodo at the end of the movie as a montage plays of everyone's stories wrapping up. If you are a nerd like me, you've listened to the commentary and know that the speech was written into the movie post-9/11, during a time where we needed words of hope and words to remind us that not everything in this world is bad.

The quote rings true in the light of the events that happened yesterday in Boston.

I, like many others around the world, stared at my computer screen in shock as the events unfolded in Boston. I could not believe something like this was happening at an event that always brings so many people together from all over the country and world. It's moments like those that I begin to lose faith in humanity as a whole and wonder what's the point?

And then the helpers show up. As Mr. Rodgers once said "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." And sure enough...the helpers came. They ran to the aid of those near the explosion site. They offered help to those now stranded in Boston. They did whatever they could to try to make even the smallest bit of difference. And even though yesterday was tragic, the fact that these helpers exist begin to restore my faith in humanity, bit by bit and piece by piece.

John Green posted a video today that sums up the entire situation far more eloquently than I could ever hope to (which is probably why he's a novelist and I'm well...not...)

Even in the darkest of days...a sunset is still beautiful

The world will keep on turning, despite our apparent attempts to make it stop. Even on the darkest of days when such tragedies have hurt us to the very core of what makes us human...there is still light. The sun will set and the next day will dawn. We will pick up and we will move on. People may try to destroy us...but humanity? Humanity is going to keep us strong.

And in the words of Jon Stewart after 9/11...
 "The reason I don’t worry about society is, nineteen people knocked down two buildings and killed thousands. Hundreds of people ran into those buildings to save them. I’ll take those odds every fucking day.”

I'll take those odds too, Jon.

"Humanity is good. Some people are terrible and broken. But humanity is good. I believe that." -Hank Green