Living: the ultimate team sport

Measuring Goodness

Posted on May 18, 2026 Updated on May 13, 2026

In an earlier post, Create the Good, I addressed not just looking for the good but also creating the good. Today I am providing two examples of individuals creating the good and both instances are close to home for me.

A 94 year old neighbor of mine, “Barbara”, fell a couple years ago and the fractures she incurred really took her out of the running, literally. Barbara loved taking walks in my neighborhood with her dog but her rehab after the leg fractures was quite extensive. Her next door neighbor gifted Barbara with a lifesaver – both physical and emotional. This other neighbor’s boss no longer had the need for a motorized scooter and donated it to her. It appears my neighbor had told him about Barbara. How did I find out about this gift? Lo’ and behold, I looked out my living room window to see Barbara scooting around the neighborhood with her dog who quite happily occupied the attached basket on the front of the mobility device. Once again, Barbara could be a part of the neighborhood’s goings on.

The other example occurred within my family. To celebrate my grandson’s 9th birthday, his household and mine went to the Seattle Museum of Flight. It is quite an extensive indoor and outdoor museum and everywhere we wandered, there also wandered an elderly gentleman with a sophisticated walker which seemed to get him everywhere he wanted to go within the museum. Toward the end of our family’s time there, this elderly man and our group approached a set of doors that took visitors from one part of the museum to another. My grandson turned to my husband, his Grampa, and asked if it was okay if he opened the door for the man with the walker. Of course it was not only okay but his doing so made a huge impression on the elderly man and his adult daughter, and let me tell you, our family was blessed as a result. His mommy told us that they are always emphasizing with their two children to always look for ways to help others.

That was certainly a lesson that paid off for everyone concerned.
If young children can create the good, you and I certainly can do the same.