Our neighbors’ Great Danes often bark and disrupt the peace. I’ll be honest—I get annoyed, and I usually try to avoid him. But that night, while I was outside with my own dog, my neighbor drove by asking, “Hey, you seen two dumb dogs?”
I knew immediately his Great Danes had gotten out again. My first instinct was to brush it off with a quick “no.” But instead, I decided to soften, to be helpful.
I asked if he had checked our neighborhood Facebook group. He hadn’t even heard of it—he and his family are still fairly new. So I reactivated my Facebook, searched for him, sent the invite, and helped connect the dots. Within a few minutes, I found a post from another neighbor (someone I’d bought birthday cakes from for my kids!) who had his dogs safe at her house. I passed along the address, and soon after he messaged me: “I got them, thank you so much.”
Here’s the thing: I still had my internal eye roll. I still don’t agree with how he lets his dogs bark outside so much. But in that moment, I was able to help. He had been circling the neighborhood for two hours, and in less than three minutes we found his dogs together.
And that’s what struck me:
✨ Even when others frustrate us, there’s always light to be found in offering a little kindness.
✨ We don’t have to agree with someone’s choices to extend a hand.
✨ Sometimes, the light we share is not just about helping—it’s about choosing connection over avoidance.
This is what the Light in Others means to me. It’s seeing the humanity in someone, even when it feels easier to turn away.
In my world…
helping a neighbor feels better than holding a grudge.
small acts of help create unexpected connections.choosing light in others brings peace back to me.