Column: The Tale of Two Cities

By Icy Frantz

I spent Sunday evening with a crowd of neighbors and friends at a vigil to bring awareness to mental health and addiction.
All ages, all shapes and sizes, supporting each other in life which can be beautiful and challenging.
Mental health Professionals from the area distributed resources and guided us through a program that united us with reminders like- You are not alone. There is help. We are here for you. Be kind.
I looked through the flickering light of the candles and felt uplifted and a part of something much bigger than myself.
We came to encourage and to be encouraged, I experienced both.
We left our differences at the doorstep of the Arch Street Teen Center.
It made me feel very proud of our town, our community.

Yesterday, I was scrolling through my social media feed and came upon an article that announced the winners from last Tuesday’s election.
It was a fair piece- stating facts.
Certainly, in any election- there are candidates that win and candidates that lose.
And there is celebration and heartache.
Candidates and their teams work hard- defeat is difficult. Victory is sweet.
The results can be informative- something all parties can learn from.
As it should be.
The comments that followed the article were not helpful.
In many cases they were hurtful and did more to increase the divide than raise our humanity.

Some of the greatest lessons I learned in youth sports was how to win with grace and lose with dignity.
There is a reason that teams shake hands after a competition.

Sunday evening- I felt the embrace- of that handshake.

And it is in that handshake that we find real victory.

Icy Frantz
The Icing on the Cake
@Icyfrantz.net

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