After a tumultuous year of unexpected twists, turns, tumbles and loss, there is a deep longing in many hearts for good news. The smell of fresh pine needles, the wonder of Christmas lights, and the hope of a New Year is upon us.
Good news may come wrapped in gifts under the Christmas tree, as we celebrate the Holidays and share in the joy of giving. Maybe this year, more than ever before, those gathering around us virtually and in person are the good news. As we honor those who are no longer with us and cherish those who are-let’s intentionally keep hope alive. Let’s look for good news to encourage each other with.
Good news can surprise us with sudden joy like the belly laugh of a child, or a grown adult who laughs so hard they can’t breathe. In our home my husband’s laugh usually gets us all laughing, even if none of us know what was funny to begin with.
Or we can create good news in our life by purposely trying new endeavors and encouraging those around us to do the same. Toni Lewis, Licensed and Master Clinical Social Worker of Breaking 13 LLC, shared on Chalkboard Ch@t a MPB Education Podcast, “If we never try, we never know what we can do.” Learning what one is capable of is a great way to encounter good news. By the way, if you haven’t listened to Chalkboard Ch@t, you won’t want to miss this new MPB Education Podcast that is always delivering good news on the education front!
Bad news travels fast and far. People are curious to know. This is human nature. It’s the rare person who spreads good news over bad news. Recently a friend of mine made it known that they have a hard time keeping good news quiet, so they asked not to be told good news until they can share it. I love everything about this.
During this time in our world, holding space for both joy and sadness is a beautiful skill to learn and explore. We can be happy for our blessings and sad for our losses all at the same time, and this is okay.
Devastating things happen every day.
Amazing things happen every day too.
We can be informed of what’s happening in the world, but not biased by all the bad news of it. Let’s offer empathy and grace as we all walk down unfamiliar pathways and find new ways to learn and grow.
“Gratitude is like a muscle: it gets weaker and weaker if it isn’t used regularly. [...] This is not a call to ignore the inevitable darkness, death, and tragedy of the world. This is a call to simultaneously recognize the enormity of the light.” - Phil Rosen, People Love Bad News, Medium.com
Being a part of the I Am Mississippi Beautiful initiative is one way we can flip the narrative and powerfully impact those around us through gratitude. We want to hear what makes Mississippi beautiful to you.
MPB Education is always looking for ways to develop, find and share good news. If you are a parent or caregiver for children ages 0-5 you will want to sign up for Bright by Text. It’s free and that is always good news! You will receive tips that cover developmental milestones, brain development, social-emotional behavior, nutrition and more. To sign up, you can click here or text the word “MPBEDUCATION” to 274448.
In the middle of all we’ve experienced this year, let’s be expectant for and treasure the good news, as we create space to grieve our losses.
Let’s come together and unite in what we can agree upon, and be curious and flexible enough to hear one another on what we can’t.
This will cultivate hope for the future as we celebrate the coming New Year.