As headlines, news stories and police reports chronicle the unthinkable in our hometowns, we all need to remember that our “four-county corner” of the Commonwealth is indeed a good place to live and work. 

                A possible murder-suicide in Marlborough Township, an alleged attempted homicide in East Greenville, a suspected theft of a six-figure amount from a trusted employee - and these are just the local headlines from this week.  There’s more coming next week.

                We live in a volatile time where tensions are raised and tempers are close to boiling nearly every day and nearly everywhere.  Tolerance seems to have become a thing of the past as more and more people and organizations become aware of a sense of “entitlement.”   Patience fades as we all become emboldened by the sense that somebody owes us something and that society should be focused on me – or my cause.  Narcissism seems to be at an all time high.

                Add to that the unstable economy, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico causing the worst ecological disaster in the history of the United States, fighting two wars in foreign lands and the list just seems to go on and on.  People who once reached for the brass ring now find themselves grabbing at straws of sanity.  Just when you thought it was safe to smile again, another deluge of bad news permeates the media and sends us back to an unhappy place.

                Somewhere along the way we took veterans and bonafide heroes off our pedestals and replaced them with sports figures earning seven-figure salaries and loud-mouthed TV political analysts spewing hate and intolerance. 

                But there is still plenty of good to be found - and you don’t have to look hard.  Our local “Relay for Life” events speak volumes for what can happen when a small community unites for a common cause.  The American Cancer Society benefits when these events happen and the search for the cure and cancer patients themselves become the ultimate beneficiaries.

                The Upper Perkiomen Valley Relay for Life kicks off this Saturday at 10 a.m. on the grounds of the Upper Perkiomen High School.  The festivities continue through 9:30 Sunday morning.  This isn’t a competition – rather it’s a coming together of people to raise money for a common purpose.  Yes, the groups and teams are grateful for your donations but nothing will inspire them more than something that will cost you a lot less – your attendance.  All it takes is for you to set some time aside and stop in and walk around the stands, listen to a speaker or two, take in some of the events and thank the participants for their efforts.  

                Just remember that when things seem like they couldn’t get any worse, they can.  Make it a point to enjoy today and smile.  Do your part to make today better than yesterday – not just for you but for those around you and even for those you don’t know.