Opinion: Joplin, Branson events bring out caring spirits

Out of the devastation of the past month both in Joplin and Branson, something amazing has happened.

Can you feel it? It’s called caring, and it’s broken out all over the Ozarks and resonated around the world. We’re caring for our neighbors, loved ones and towns that have been devastated by tornadoes and floods.

The level of support and caring is so overwhelming that you wonder if it was always there or if events such as these bring out the best in people. I believe that we are born with the most basic instinct of all, and that is to care.

In Joplin, we have witnessed caring at its finest. People are selflessly helping people they don’t know get back on their feet. No agenda. No keeping score – just caring enough to want to help fellow human beings in their time of need.

News reporters worldwide are turning their attention from the physical devastation to the intangible wellspring of human spirit that is gushing forth through the rubble and helping fill the hearts and souls of those left so empty.

They say they’ve never seen caring like it, but if you look closely enough every day, you can find it. Whether it’s the person who volunteers at a homeless shelter, or a simple visit to an elderly neighbor, there is caring and kindness all around. It just takes something like Joplin to witness it on a larger scale.

So what can we learn from the “Spirit of Joplin, 2011”? Perhaps we can learn that you shouldn’t wait to tell people in your life that you love them and they are special. Secondly, you should learn to care about every facet of your life and let it shine through.

In business, they say that you can hire anyone to do a job, but you can’t make them care about it. Think how much better our lives would be if we embodied the “Spirit of Joplin” in everything we did.

I’m blessed in my life to be surrounded by family, friends, colleagues and clients who really care about what they do and how they treat others. I’ve called the Ozarks home for nearly 20 years, and I have never been prouder to be part of a community than I have this past month.

—Paul Devlin, A Plus Payroll[[In-content Ad]]