This week 148 years ago, an immunologist named Karl Landsteiner figured out the different human blood types and named them. Types A, B and O. This won him the Nobel Prize in 1930 and has allowed us to save lives using blood transfusions ever since.
This made me think of the hundreds of residents in Orlando who lined up last weekend to donate blood after the horrific massacre at a local nightclub where 49 people were killed and more than 50 people were wounded.
Those giving a piece of themselves to the victims turned their feelings of helplessness into hopefulness.
I grew up watching Mr. Rogers on television. I remember he once said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"
Helping brings hope. And hope is the fuel that gets us through the tough times. It allows us to picture a brighter day.
May we all continue to help in our own way. By talking to our children. Looking out for our neighbors. And asking lawmakers to keep open minds.
James M. Barrie once said, "We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it." Blood in our veins. Hope in our hearts. And love in our lives.