Look for the Good

I was a fan of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood growing up. For a long time, we were only allowed to watch shows on PBS, Channel 13 in New York. I was on a strict diet of Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and The Electric Company. So it's no surprise that I am drawn to the quote attributed to him: 

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' "

And it is in this spirit that I am writing this week. 

I am a fan of the New York Yankees, and something happened this week that has received national attention. On Tuesday, May 3, Aaron Judge hit a home run in Toronto, an estimated 427 feet. The ball landed in the second deck of the Rogers Centre, landing in a tray of hot dogs. It was scooped up by Mike Lanzilotta, a Blue Jays fan. 

Now, I've been to many, many baseball games in my life, from tee-ball all the way up through and including the pros, and I've never caught a baseball while at a game. I have a sentimental view of a baseball ticket; I look at it as a chance to see greatness, something magical. Maybe it will be a perfect game, maybe there will be a no-hitter, maybe a team will turn a triple play. For the non-baseball fans, those are all pretty rare. Nonetheless, I do believe there's a real chance you will see something special when you show up to a baseball game. 

Back to Lanzilotta. If you watch the video, take a closer look around the 40-second mark. Lanzilotta recovers the ball and starts to put both hands in the air to celebrate. He's clearly a fan, and even though his team did not hit the home run of the more than 22,000 people in attendance that night, he has his hands on a major league baseball. Something special. 

Lanzilotta never fully raises his hands in celebration because, in the course of trying to get the ball, he's turned around and has noticed 9-year-old Derek Rodriguez, complete in his Yankee hat and Aaron Judge t-shirt, in the row behind him. And in a moment that still causes me to tear up, Lanzilotta hands Rodriguez the ball. Rodriguez's shock turns into joy, turns into tears, and turns into an impromptu embrace with Lanzilotta. Yes, I am crying, and so are you. 

There is so much good in the world; we just have to look a little harder to see it these days. It's happening in ordinary ways that are not being captured on an internationally televised major league broadcast. From holding the door for others to checking up on a friend. From anonymously paying for the person behind you in line to sitting in silence with someone who is struggling. From meeting the needs of a student to meeting the needs of a colleague. 

So given the tumultuous nature of our world, I offer this slight tweak to the quote of one of my heroes: 

"Since I'm no longer a boy, and I still see scary things in the world. I will look for the good. I will always find people who are good." 

Thank you to Toronto Blue Jays fan Mike Lanzilotta for your pure example of good. 

If you are so inspired, please share a story of good in your world in the comments below.