Pain comes in many forms. It can be physical or mental. Either way, most of us don’t like pain and are thankful when it can be reduced at any level.

I am a freelance writer and always am on the look-out for a story. Yesterday, I was driving to a school to pick up a story about children gardening. I passed a row of unusual looking trees, and a man walking alongside the road. His clothes were dirty and he looked a bit disheveled, but I turned my car around and drove back to talk with him.

I introduced myself as a newspaper writer and wondered if he knew anything about the trees planted alongside the road. He spoke with a heavy Italian accent, and affirmed, he was the one who planted them. Then he asked if I could drive him home because his foot was hurting really badly.

He was out on his 4-wheeler and the motorcycle got stuck. Walking home was torment because he recently had broken his foot. He had a sense of humor as he stuffed himself into my little car, but was so thankful for the ride, that he apologized for being so big.

I drove him to his house, on the hill. We made a deal that I’d come back in one hour to talk with him.

His love of the land kept him outside working in the dirt, planting trees. After talking with him, I discovered he was a wealth of joy. I will write up his story of someone who decided to keep planting trees.

Yesterday day went on for me. I had to cover a Village meeting in the evening. These meetings are notorious for being inefficient and long. Another reporter and I sat together. Although, that reporter and I basically write for competitive local newspapers, no one would know it because we were there supporting and helping one another through the long evening.

In light of the pain in the world, I hold to my gratitude for anytime the pain is reduced.