To the Editor:
As everyone knows, these are tough times we live in. So many Americans are out of work, with police, firemen and teachers being laid off. Our children’s classroom’s population is bigger, with many courses and programs are being cancelled. Every week we hear of reports of many innocent people being killed by a gun-toting person who has snapped. Our young people are exposed to all kinds of dangerous drugs that can easily destroy their lives. They can naively post information on the Web that will hurt them in the future. Dangerous, foolish ideas to get high on or performances of “exciting” stunts are posted online for them to imitate. And not only is our country in financial trouble, but so are hundreds around the world, many much worse than us. Flooding is endangering towns and areas like never before, with even major cities like Bangkok in danger of being submerged. The list of woes goes on and on.
We are frustrated and anxious about our future, as things could get worse and we feel we can’t stand another straw on the camel’s back, not to mention ours! But because of this and especially because of the growing trend of our young people being ignorant of spiritual knowledge, I wanted to mention the following comforting facts.
in many ways the unselfish deeds we do for others. So if things are going bad for you now, don’t stop being helpful or loving to others; those seeds of caring for others will bloom into good for you. For sure!
You have many positive things in your life. One, for example, is that you live in the U.S. and not China, where a letter like this would have no chance of being printed and where you could be put to death for a not-so-serious crime. Things may be bad for you, but millions of others have it much worse than you.
Next, God is a very present help in trouble and will never leave or abandon us. I know He can help us because He helped turn my life around for the better when I was headed into a downward spiral.
There are many more comforting facts but I’ll stop here. Please, enjoy the simple and not-so-simple joys of life; there are many. And help others to enjoy them too! Share a good joke and don’t take yourself so seriously. And be friendly; you’ll have more friends!
JIM FICO