Yesterday was hard. But it was also beautiful. I filmed an inspirational story for our next superhero documentary in the Smokey Mountains, just outside of Knoxville, TN. A gorgeous setting with a heroic young man. But the location required a 4-mile hike, carrying my gear.

I had to climb on slick rocks & wade through icy, rushing streams with my camera, getting bruises all over. I fell down often on hard rocks & always felt off balance while filming. My phone got wet & went dead. And I wrestled a bear. (OK, that last one didn’t happen.) The footage is wonderful, but I felt like a boxer after 12 rounds.

When I opened my laptop hours later, I learned that my friend Lenny B. Robinson had tragically passed away. He was such an important part of our film Legends of the Knight. It was heartbreaking. And I had received hundreds & hundreds of messages about it. I’m not kidding… hundreds & hundreds. The outpouring of affection was lovely, but after a long day, I felt totally overwhelmed.

As always during my travels, strangers became new friends. The family I was filming with allowed me to set-up an office in their dining room & helped me sort out the problems of having no phone. (Without my GPS, I didn’t even know how to get back to my hotel.) We laughed about my bruises, put my phone in rice, ate potato soup, & planned for the next day of filming. Thank you Diane & Emery for being so kind during my tough day.

Life is continuing to teach me this: Darkness never wins, because even the smallest Light chases it away. This morning, the bruises still hurt. The ones in my body & in my heart. But Love always gives me Hope.

Whatever happens today, I believe there will be enough Compassion in the world to get me through it. I’m prepared for a heroic day. I hope you are too.