26 kindnesses: Social media effort a good way to remember victims

You could call it a social media sensation -- the call for people to do 26 acts of kindness in memory of those who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The efforts have been grand and small -- everything from doing 26 acts of volunteer work to handing out 26 random "Merry Christmas" $5 bills.

People of all ages are participating, too, although the most touching efforts have been those of the youngsters -- too young to really understand the breadth and meaning of this tragedy, but kind enough to want to help.

The point is, it does not matter what you do -- big, small, complicated, simple. The idea is to turn a horrible tragedy into a chance for all of us to remember and to appreciate each other.

Not such a bad idea is it?

At Christmastime especially, we forget what really matters, why we need to take the time to care for each other.

We give, but then we succumb to the old presents game, forgetting that the most important thing this time of year is family and being there for one another.

The Sandy Hook shooting shook many of us into remembering just how important that is.

So Wayne County, start your acts -- 26 of them. The effort is sure to make your Christmas merry.

Published in Editorials on December 20, 2012 11:07 AM