There’s so much that we can’t control. There are so many sad things unfurling around us and across the headlines that can leave us feeling wrung out and listless.

However, I beg that you don’t forget that there’s still so much goodness around us as well. So while we can’t ignore the painful realities of life, we can sweeten our existence by making sure to really pause and acknowledge, celebrate and praise the tender moments.

Recently, a woman took her two young children out shopping and for lunch at Mosaic Café in downtown Northampton. It was their first big outing in a while since her beloved husband had only recently passed away after a very long illness. She wore his wedding ring to keep him close, since she missed him so acutely.

At some point in the frigid afternoon, the ring quietly slipped off her finger. Between attending to her small children on the sidewalks and while crossing streets, carrying bags and greeting acquaintances, the precious and irreplaceable ring seemed to simply vanish. She searched her bag, scoured the car, and retraced her steps between the Rainbow Crosswalk and Masonic street over and over. Cedar Chest staff and Thornes custodians and security workers searched high, low and everywhere in between.

Exhausted and devastated, she brought her kids home, hoping that somehow the ring would resurface. Her mother and friends swooped in, examining the sidewalks, crawling along shop floors, and desperately searching everywhere for a glint of that cherished ring. One friend made a flier and shared online, another alerted pedestrians and parking meter attendants about the missing ring, while another started compiling a list of local pawn shops to call, just in case.

At Mosaic Café, KerimAsab and Kevin Urbina were determined to help. They searched the dining room floor with cellphone flashlights, alerted every patron that stepped through the door, and even dug through the bathroom trashcan. As the search wore on, different helpers stepped in, and as the sun started to set on another grey winter afternoon, it started to seem less and less likely that the ring would be found.

Kerim and Kevin were undeterred, and as they learned from other searchers that the rung still hadn’t been recovered, they returned to the bathroom trashcan, patiently unfurling each used paper towel.

Sometimes, compassion and kindness aren’t glamorous or fun, and digging through wads of soggy paper towels most certainly isn’t enjoyable. So while family and friends who had deep emotional ties to finding the lost wedding ring did their absolute best to help, it was two strangers who went way above and beyond as they searched through multiple garbage bags.

Remarkably, Kerim and Kevin found the cherished ring nestled within that bag of bathroom trash. They could’ve easily simply tended to their normal busy afternoons and standard work-related tasks, but they chose altruism instead.

Yes, our lives are rife with painful mortal struggles that are sometimes unsolvable, unbearable and cruel, but there are still golden moments of goodness that shine even brighter when we notice and appreciate. I have no doubt that these little moments occur all over the globe, so the more we amplify, the brighter they will shine.

Please use this as a reminder to tell your stories of tenderness and compassion, and don’t forget to offer up your little acts of service when the moments present themselves. If you have a moment, stop in at our local businesses to buy a little something, generously tip the workers, and keep our special communities thriving.

Especially don’t forget to pause for a meal at Mosaic Café, and let Kerim and Kevin know that we appreciate them.

Chelsea Sunday Kline is an author and big hugger who was recently appointed the executive director at Cancer Connection.

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