Dear Editor: When did we stop doing the right thing?

Dear Editor,

Just an opinion. Justice and grace...So when did we stop doing the right thing?

Flash back to Kindergarten when we were all the very best of friends. We were taught to be kind, to respect each other’s space, to share and to value our fellow humans. The sign on the wall above our ABC chart read two simple words “ Be Kind.” It was a life lesson we learned at a young age, but when was it lost?

It started that day when we were coloring a page to take home to our parents, so it was important to do a really good job. You broke your yellow crayon; it was your favorite color of all 16 in the box. I saw the sadness in your eyes, without another thought I gave you my only yellow crayon and we finished our projects with pride. When you brought a new box of 24 to school you returned a new yellow crayon to me, and we both were happy.

Grade school, high school, college, jobs, marriage - the years go by so fast and LIFE happens. We are here for one another, we lend a helping hand to those around us and maybe we can make a small difference to someone else.

So when I saw you were having a really tough week - I mean a really, really tough week - I brought over my box of 64 crayons to brighten your day and once again I saw that smile. I watched as you took out each one and created a masterpiece. No, you didn’t ask for them. I was just doing a kind thing, the right thing.

It’s been three weeks and today I find my box of 64 crayons broken, melted, and scattered all over the sidewalk. It makes me step back, pause and question, when did the proverbial “We” stop doing the right thing? When and why did it change? It must have been gradual and maybe we weren’t looking. I remember seeing a quote “In a world where you can be anything...be kind.”

So, let’s lead by example to do our best for the common good of others, to remember those valuable lessons of justice and grace. Yes, it makes me sad that this didn’t end differently. But trust me, I’ll still share my crayons when you need them.

Beverly Jensen

Whitehall, Montana