Working in newspapers, I’ve come to expect bad things to come in threes. If there is a headline bust, a floating participle or a misspelled name, I know I should expect to find at least two more errors in that week’s paper. I know that doesn’t sound very optimistic, but it helps me to know there is an end in sight.
Between the coronavirus, the Easter Sunday storms and the tornadoes last weekend, by my count we’re about due for a break. And, though we may not catch a break from the weather, we can get it from our friends and neighbors.
The past few weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the amount of posts, pictures, snaps, stories and tweets I’ve seen of Mississippians helping other Mississippians.
On Thursday, I covered the Newton County Board of Supervisors as they made plans to go help with recovery efforts after the Easter tornadoes in Jasper and Clarke counties.
Later that same day, the Newton Municipal School District Board of Trustees passed a resolution to help leaseholders of the district’s 16th section land deal with the coronavirus by deferring payments.
On Saturday, I had a call from a reader who was planning to sew some masks and wanted to know who needed them.
Sunday, I saw photos of City of Newton employees working to clear a downed tree in the rain.
Storms come, people get sick, spelling errors slip by, but we’re fortunate to have friends, neighbors and coworkers who are there to help us, whether it’s an ad rep wielding a red pen, a city employee with a bulldozer or a neighbor with a plate of hot food.
Mississippi is the hospitality state, and to all those showing that hospitality during this gloomy time, thank you. You are the reason bad things don’t come in fours.
Thomas Howard is the managing editor of The Newton County Appeal. He can be reached at thoward@newtoncountyappeal.com
