You did it, a powerful reminder to me and others that their news is not our news. People are good, given the chance. Kelly Nolan will be able to pay her entire vet bill on Friday.

Last Thursday, at our weekly dinner at the Bog restaurant, Kelly Nolan told me about the death of her new dog’s three puppies and the long struggle to save her dog and the surviving two puppies. In the end, surgery was required. I had the sudden impulse to ask her how much it cost. We all gulped when she told us.

The ordeal cost $1,300 which she charged on her credit card.

Kelly did not ask for help or complain in any way about the bill, she just shrugged and said it was a part of life.  She had no choice, she said, she couldn’t let her new rescue dog die and had to try and save her puppies.

We’ve all been there, I thought, and then, driving home I had this idea that it would be great to help her pay that bill, she has to wait a lot of tables and pour a lot of drinks to pay $1,300.  I was thinking about how long it would take her to pay that bill.

I’ve heard plenty of people complain a lot more about a lot less.

I had planned to surprise Kelly with the news on Thursday when we go to the Bog – I wanted to see her face –  but Maria persuaded me I should break the news right away, as soon as we passed the $1,300 mark in contributions, which came from all over the country and some of Europe.

The idea was to help Kelly, but there was a selfish part of it. I wanted to find a small way of doing good that countered the poison and hopelessness we all were feeling last week.

We were descending into those nightmarish days – Dallas, Minnesota, Baton Rouge – all those images of hate, rage, argument, suffering and horror. I wanted to feel a sense of community, some sense of unity. I guess I wanted to know it was still possible, that this very American spirit was still there.

It almost never shows itself on their news.

We needed to feel good about one another.

It is possible to find love and community, you just can’t look for it o or see much about it in or on the corporate-for-profit news, bad news makes a lot more money than the good news. But there is so much more good news than bad if you look for it.So we are making our own. On this blog, we are a community, we do go to bat for one another, we can stand in one another’s shoes.

I went to my Post Office Box 205 (Cambridge, N.Y., 12816) this afternoon and found another stack of letters, what a joy to read these powerful and loving messages. I will give each one of them to Kelly, such generosity of spirit and open hearts.

Paula Beck from Fallbrook, Calif., put us over the top.

She sent a contribution of $50 and wrote: “Dear Jon, thank you for sharing your thoughts and beautiful photos, letting us into your life, and spreading the word when your friends and community need help. I hope this small amount about will be of assistance to Kelly.”

Thank you, Paula, it will surely be of assistance to her and I thank you and all those others who wrote me from everywhere, it seemed. When people need help, some people jeer and others hide or run away. Some people help, no questions asked. That is the hope and the promise if the human spirit, not the eternal raging and fury poured down our throats every day. As a former journalism, I believe if some of these letters I”ve gotten for Kelly made their way onto the news, we might have a gentler and more peaceful world.

Kelly is not a famous person, she never even thought to ask for help.

No one needed to pay any attention to my request, no one would ever have known. Letters are not like e-mail, it takes some thought to write a check, put it in an envelope, address it and get it to the post office. And I can’t believe how quickly the money came in, and from so many different places – more than 30 different states. We have a bond, and it is strong.

In a time of supposed polarization and indifference, hundreds of people sent contributions – some as small as $5, many folded $10 and $20 bills, some wrote $100 checks.  Several hundred dollars also came to Kelly via Paypal. These were people who understood the power of empathy – they could put themselves in the shoes of another human being who could use some help.

I see our political leaders are utterly disconnected from the spirit of ordinary people. We do not seek conflict or fury. Quite the opposite. I think of this campaign as the Bedlam Farm poll. Small things can go enormous good. Perhaps that is the way back.

So I am delighted that we can give Kelly this money Thursday, I hope I can get to photograph those surviving puppies. I am eternally grateful to have my core belief in humanity affirmed so quickly and powerfully. Those letters are a tonic, i will read and re-read them. And I thank you.

(We don’t need any more money, thanks, it looks like there will be some overage. I know some people asked if they could send some money later in the week. It will be  well spent.  If there is an excess, I will make certain Kelly does not have additional medical fees and/or find an animal shelter or other good animal cause to donate the additional money to, and I will let  you know about it.  I don’t wish to make the blog about sending money to people. The blog has raised more than $140,000 for people and that is a wonderful thing, but  raising money ought not be the primary purpose here, few of you have much more money than I do. Although it sure feels good, especially when people can give small amounts to do much good. This one feels especially uplifting to me, it leaves me feeling strong and hopeful. This is a very fine chapter in a troubling week.)