A good story for Christmas

The insightful blogger behind Cleveland Love recounts the story of a volunteer:

He also showed up to volunteer and help build a playground on West 89th. We shoveled mulch and nailed boards together, hung out and enjoyed the beautiful day and the sun when they ran out of work for us to do. I never saw him again after that and then saw the listing for a vigil his family was having because he got murdered.

And sure, he probably wasn't a totally innocent guy, and I had that feeling at the time as I watched him get stoned on the corner and noticed that he was pretty cryptic about his personal life, but none of us really are when it comes down to it. The idiot commenters on Cleveland.com celebrate that another "thug" is off the streets, but what if that was your brother or sister or neighbor or cousin? What if he left behind two kids?

Click through for the rest.

What I really like about this blogger is that she's got an open heart without a trace of naivete. I think that's really rare (but sorely needed) in this society. If I had to sum her up in a verse of song, I'd choose this one from Susan Werner's "The Pilgrim Song," based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling:

"As we come, and as we go
And very soon go we
The people, Lord, Thy people
Are good enough for me."