A Woman Named Good

Lee Jeffries

There once was a woman named Good.

Every day, she gave milk to the cats on the street, fed the homeless, and took care of the crippled.

One day while walking home, a battered cat jumped out from behind a trashcan and bit Good in the ankle. It wouldn't let go, so Good had to kick the cat to release its tight grip. One of the village boys saw her kicking the cat while he was parking his bike. The next day, everybody was talking about Good like she was no good.

It did not matter to them that Good had been very good every day for over 20 years. And it did not matter to them to find out what really happened. The villagers only repeated what they heard, and judged Good accordingly. After that day, Good still went on being good, because she was not good for the sake of looking good, but being truly good. If she had stopped being good after being called bad, then the village people would have been right by changing the color of her light in everybody's eyes. But by remaining TRUE to herself and her good deeds, she defeated their words and convinced them they were wrong, and in time, Good's reputation returned to being gold again.

In the end, nobody can judge another man's heart, but Truth. Always be good for yourself, and not for the sake of others. Each man is responsible for the weight of his own heart. And to this day, Good still fights the good fight to stay good.

By Suzy Kassem

Copyright 2012, Suzy Kassem. All rights reserved.
*Photo by Lee Jeffries