With recent tragedies striking the nation, many people question the goodness left in not only today’s society, but humanity as well. On April 15, the Boston Marathon bombing took place, which left an entire country emotionally ravaged. In previous months, the massacres at Sandy Hook and the “Dark Knight” premiere in Colorado affected more than just those living in the small towns. In addition to national travesties, international uprisings and genocides take lives daily. The tragic happenings incite questions of doubt concerning mankind’s motivations. Though all thoughts of positivity and recovery often seem completely lost after such events, this is not true. The actions of average bystanders and outsiders informed through media have and will continue to help the nation heal. After the bombing in Boston, healthy runners and bystanders rushed to the hospital in order to donate blood for the injured. At the Sandy Hook shooting, teachers chose to protect their students by literally acting as a shield. The individual act of donating blood or protecting those in need may seem insignificant, but it is these mere actions that unite the goodness in each person, which grows to overshadow the malevolence that so easily draws our attention. In each instance of tragedy, we are each given the opportunity to overcome and respond. Disasters can happen anywhere, even a small town like Freedom. After several bomb threats this year, each of us experienced but a fraction of the fear felt due to the uncertainty of the situation. By examining the nation’s wholehearted response, it is evident that finding the positive and moving forward — however difficult it may be — is possible. We should be grateful for our good fortune, when so much of the nation and world is mourning over losses. Even though tragedy may not be as evident in our lives as others, as human beings, we should all learn to overcome pain and sorrow together.