LONDON, U.K. -- Sometimes in our world of suffering, hunger, war, pandemic, the right thing happens, and why are we surprised when it does?
You don鈥檛 really need me to answer that.
The right thing happened today, on a summer-hot morning, in the locked-down land of British Kings, Queens and Knights of the Round Table.
We learned that Captain Tom, who became Colonel Tom, is about to become Sir Tom.
Sir Tom Moore, that is, who raised a mere $55 million to support his country鈥檚 National Health Service by going for a walk in his garden鈥100 laps before his 100th birthday.
Boris Johnson recommended him for a knighthood and the Queen has graciously accepted.
Pretty terrific when your Prime Minister calls you 鈥渁 beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus.鈥
Sir Tom not only inspired millions to donate, he aroused something in other people to take up the cause.
There is the , who makes workout videos for seniors and has become an Internet sensation鈥攔aising money for the NHS.
set out to walk around his house 91 times to celebrate his 91st birthday. When I last looked, he鈥檇 raised nearly $75,000.
Let鈥檚 make him a knight too: Sir Rhythwyn.
And why not Sir Rajinder while we鈥檙e at it.
Then we come to . You鈥檙e going to love her story.
She started climbing her stairs on Easter Sunday, with the goal of doing it 282 times.
She figured that would be equivalent to climbing up Suilven, one of the most distinctive mountains in Scotland, and not far from her home. (Pronounced Sool-ven)
Up, up, up 731 metres鈥17 stairs at a time鈥攗ntil she had reached the summit, which she first climbed in 1944 during the war. She was 15 then and never climbed it again.
And how much money do you think Margaret Payne has raised? Her website donation page today clocked in at $333,983.84 which according to my handy currency converter amounts to just over half a million Canadian.
A good chunk of it will go to support the local palliative care home, Highland Hospice鈥攚hich is free of coronavirus by the way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been absolutely wonderful,鈥 she told me over the phone, 鈥渕ore than we ever thought.鈥
She鈥檚 got about another month of stairs to go, easier on days when it鈥檚 not rainy and cold.
How does Dame Margaret sound?
