As far as years go, 2016 has been right down there with the worst of them.
We’ve had all the big hitters this year – systematic corruption, terrorism, police shootings – and some new ones like Brexit, the Zika virus and Donald Trump.
That’s not even mentioning all the deaths of beloved personalities such as Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder, Prince, Alan Rickman, David Bowie and most recently, Leonard Cohen.
By all accounts, 2016 has been a fairly crummy year.
However, the brightest of stars shine in the gloomiest of nights.
There will always be those moments that make you realise that all hope is not lost. Moments that remind us that the connection between the strange species that inhabits our planet known as the human race still exists and it’s still palpable. Moments that make us stop and appreciate the good amidst these seemingly darkest of days.
One such moment occurred at the finish line of the Dublin marathon a couple of weeks ago. Shane Toman was taking part in the race and had been eyeing up beating the goal he had set for himself of a sub-three hour race.
Despite all this, when he saw a fellow human struggling at a crucial stage of the race, he didn’t hesitate. He deviated from his course and helped the woman back to her feet so that she could complete the race too.
Well done @shanetoman helping woman over the line near finish of marathon 👏 👏worth a retweet @ballsdotie @SportsJOEdotie pic.twitter.com/4CoVTzdODU
— paul o brien (@pdobrien82) November 11, 2016
If that doesn’t tug on your heartstrings, ask Santa Claus for a heart to replace that piece of coal residing in your chest cavity this year.
Thanks to Paul O’Brien for sending this our way. If you have any pieces of content you’d like to share with us, hit us up on Facebook or Twitter or send us an email at editorial@SportsJOE.ie.
