Keeping it positive amid the craziness

We all need more positivity in our lives. That is especially true now. A pandemic continues to challenge our way of life. People in our country are further apart than ever before. We as a society are upset, frustrated and scared. But there are silver linings every day. You may have to look a little bit harder for them, but blessings abound. I've written about my frustration with the direction that politics have turned in our nation. I've written about my frustration with the way journalists are treated, especially those on the local level. I've written about COVID-19 and its devastation on our health and on the business community. But when I am truest to myself, I am positive. I may not be whistling through chaos like Mickey Mouse in one of those old cartoons, but I do try and keep a half-full mentality and absolutely believe the world needs more positivity. Thus, I am going to share things that I am thankful for, and will continue to take this space to occasionally do so moving forward. I encourage you to make your own list, especially during the middle of the winter. • As I write this, golden streaks of sunlight are reflecting into my office. I am thankful for each sunny day during the winter. I am thankful that since moving to Ohio, I have yet to even pick up my snow shovel (true story). There is beauty in snow this time of year, but it melts and typically only offers a short-term travel challenge. I once removed snow from my driveway no less than 10 times when living in Michigan. I am thankful for Ohio's mild weather and for nice days filled with Vitamin D. • I am thankful for the resiliency of children. My kids have mostly had in-person education this year, but have also spent time doing virtual school. Through it all, they continue to learn and grow. I am amazed by how well children can weather the stress of the world. Yes, there are plenty of children out there struggling, and they need us more than ever, but if one is looking for an example of how to weather a storm, look no further than the children of this world. • How businesses have battled a topsy-turvy past 10 months has been inspiring. I have seen innovation and nimbleness. I have seen our communities turning out to support businesses that need it. By no means are local businesses in the clear, but I am thankful so many are hanging on. I even see new shops and stores popping up in our cities. I hope that 2021 is the year of the local business — please go out and support them today! • I am thankful for the leadership I see in the communities I cover. The leaders I've met and read about in our paper range in age, title and ideology, but they care about making our community better. I am drawn to something that Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz posted online recently in light of national events: "If only our leaders in Washington could operate with the same dignity and decorum as we do in Tiffin. I would challenge any of them to watch our City Council meetings and identify who is a Republican, who is a Democrat, and who is an Independent. I cannot remember a single time in which votes fell along party lines, we do not utilize personal attacks, and we work together for the betterment of the citizens of Tiffin." This sentiment could be just as true in Findlay or Fostoria and in the multiple organizations and leadership groups that exist within them. The buzz right now is at the national and state levels of government, but local government provides great examples of people of differing yokes working together for something greater than the individual. • It has been heartbreaking to see so many obituaries in our papers recently, and I am struck by how many of them include COVID-19 within. Many people are dealing with heartbreak, and many who have lost ones haven't been able to grieve properly with a traditional service, my family included. However, I am thankful my immediate family and I have kept our health, which is something we should never take for granted. I am thankful that the health of those who work alongside me has by-and-large remained good. I thank God each morning for another day when I wake up, probably now more than ever. I would encourage all to minimize social media and spend some reflective time contemplating all that is good. It's out there. Reach out to a family member or someone you haven't talked to in awhile. Be a light in someone's life. We all can use the positive in 2021. Speer is the publisher of The Courier in Findlay, The Advertiser-Tribune in Tiffin and the Review Times in Fostoria. He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com or jspeer@advertiser-tribune.com