One thing I've noticed since "9/11" is that we Americans seem to be a little more courteous and gracious to one another. I see more people smiling on the streets, more people letting people into traffic lines ahead of them, more people volunteering to help even before being asked and more people seeming to enjoy the world around them. At the same time I see a decline in surliness, bad manners and pettiness. Perhaps these aren't big changes but they are noticeable.

At first, I thought it might only be my perception. But as I encountered more and more people, I realized they, too, were noticing a shift in behavior. I asked several of my friends and acquaintances what they were experiencing and they were nearly unanimous in noticing both changes in others and a sense of being more conscious about how they acted toward one another.

Perhaps it's the "in your face" dose of reality that "9/11" represents. Perhaps the tragedy has forced each of us to look at our own mortality and check the hour on our life clocks. It's sad to think we might need such terrible events to get our attention. It would be better to believe each of us looks up from time to time, notices a tree, a flower, a smile, or a need and just commits a random act of kindness or experiences a moment of wonder.

And maybe that's the case. Maybe "9/11" just put us all on the same lifecycle for a change. Maybe the wonder of people acting splendidly to one another that we have seen come out of the terror of the Twin Towers is a reminder that when there is a great need there is great humanity shown. At all other times, wonderful things are happening, but are considerably less noticeable.

I know that it's a big world and terrible things frequently happen closer to us than we would like. A quick visit to the nightly news or the daily newspaper is a regular reminder that all is not well in our world. But I also know that so many people are loving, heroic, kind and are experiencing wonder in the world around them daily that the awful things represent only isolated incidents.

The spirit of "9/11" reminds us how splendid we can be when we reach out to others. It reminds us to stop and recognize the splendor of the world around us. And, like most legacies the price is dear.

THOUGHT TO ACTION: Look around. What can you do to make life better? What do you notice that's beautiful and wondrous? Then, do something.