I’ve been crying at the drop of a hat recently. But when my son called me the other day, just to say hi, I didn’t even get a word out. I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t speak. Just silence. And in that silence, he panicked. Then came the tears.

I always say, “You can’t control what life throws at you, but you can control how you respond.” Lately, I’ve been failing at my own advice. Because right now, everything feels bleak. Every headline, every conversation — it’s all anger, fear, division. I feel it in my bones. As a result, I’m angry, scared and sad. Truth be told, it feels like I’m clawing to get through the day. And I know I’m not the only one.

It’s easy to withdraw, to assume the worst about people, to believe we’re too different, too far apart. But what if we’re wrong? What if the connection we’re craving is still there, waiting for us to reach out?

I found my answer in the last place I expected: a broken headlight and a set of new tires.

When my headlight went out, my first instinct was to take it to the dealership. I knew it would cost more, but I also wasn’t sure I could figure it out myself. A friend encouraged me to try replacing it on my own, so I went to a local auto shop to buy the part.

The guy behind the counter took one look under the hood of my car and admitted that changing the bulb was beyond him. But instead of leaving me to figure it out alone, he did something unexpected — he walked me over to the service side and introduced me to two guys who weren’t busy. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he said, “They say no?”

They didn’t say no. They said yes. They showed me how to change it, step by step until I did it myself. Well, with supervision. And just like that, something that had felt daunting became something I could do. Because I asked. Because someone took the time.

Days later, I needed new tires. I found a great deal through my credit card membership, and they were sent to a tire shop to be installed. I was listening to an audiobook while I waited, and I overheard the man behind the counter answer what was clearly a wrong number.

It should have been nothing — a quick “Sorry, wrong number” before hanging up. But I listened as he said, “No, no, don’t hang up. You’re looking for the rehab center, right? Here’s the number you want. Tell them I say, ‘Hi.’”

I stopped my book and asked him about it. He told me he gets calls like that all the time. Instead of brushing them off, he had memorized the number of the rehabilitation clinic. Because if someone is calling a rehab center, they’re probably at a breaking point. And the last thing they need is a dead end.

The conversation was totally unexpected, but somehow it was just what I needed. I left that shop feeling different. Not just because I had new tires, but because I had seen something I wasn’t sure still existed: kindness without hesitation.

These people — I don’t know them. Maybe we wouldn’t agree on politics. Maybe we wouldn’t see eye to eye on a dozen different things. But in that moment, it didn’t matter. They helped because they could. Because I asked. Or because someone else needed it.

That’s what’s missing right now — the willingness to believe the best in each other. We’re so convinced that the world is dark and divided that we’ve stopped giving people the chance to prove otherwise. We don’t ask for help because we assume no one will say yes. We don’t offer it because we assume it’s not our place.

But what if we did?

What if we stopped assuming rejection? What if we asked? What if we said yes?

I walked into the auto shop afraid to even go inside. I hadn’t planned on having a conversation with the guy behind the counter at the tire place, either. But now, I know I’m welcome in both places. If I need help, I’ll ask. (Maybe I’ll ask someone to teach me how to change my oil, so I won’t cause an environmental disaster?)

So, I’m keeping the momentum going. I’m writing down my “Daily Good” or one good thing each that’s worth holding on to.

And I want to hear from you. Have you had a moment lately where someone surprised you with kindness? When you asked for help, and someone said yes? When you offered help and it mattered? We could all use more reminders that goodness still exists — I know I could.

So, tell me: What’s your “Daily Good” for today?