Today, I picked up my 80th bag of trash for the year. It was a joyful accomplishment. Lately, when I pick up trash on Saturdays, kiddos from the neighborhood come and ask if they can help. It’s such a treat to work with them and see them run around getting so many pieces I might have missed. There are times where they’ll find a big piece and run it back to their trash bag like they found real treasure. I love moments like these.

Children are the future, and I absolutely adore working with them. Every day at work, I get to watch the little ones learn and grow, and now I’m getting the privilege of watching the neighborhood kiddos run around and do right by their home and community.

The absolute best part is watching my nieces grow up to be good people, caring about the feelings of others, even when they’re struggling with their own. They don’t often help me pick up trash anymore like they used to, but they know right from wrong, and I’ll never catch them littering. They also know it’s important to care about others and not fall into the trap of me me me me. Though, that occasionally still happens, they are pretty good humans overall. Or, maybe I’m biased.

Anyway, here’s to picking up 80 bags of trash so far this year, and the tangent it’s made me go off on!