Post by Marjo Suominen

I witnessed a small act of kindness today that truly lifted my spirits. I was carrying some heavy banana boxes for our upcoming move when two boys, about eight years old, stopped and asked if they could help. They were far too small for the task, but their concern and gentleness brightened my cloudy afternoon — and made the packing feel a little lighter. The young birch leaves in my photo mirror the boys’ kindness today — small, bright, and unexpectedly uplifting. My motivational aria for the occasion is “Tu del ciel ministro eletto” (You, chosen minister of Heaven), addressed to an angelic or guardian figure. The aria expresses the choice of divine, enduring love over worldly and fleeting desires. It comes from George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (The Triumph of Time and Disillusionment) and is sung by the allegorical character Bellezza (Beauty).