What does it mean to be thoughtful?

At its core, thoughtfulness is the simple act of considering someone else – or at the very least, pausing to think about how our words and actions might affect those around us.

In many ways, thoughtfulness is the opposite of selfishness. For most of human history, being thoughtful has been regarded as a virtue. We check in on friends and family, lend a hand to our neighbors, and yes, we return our shopping cart to the corral at the grocery store (or at least we should).

I suspect most of us would much rather live in a thoughtful community than a self-centered one. In fact, I believe we all want thoughtful communities. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have many of the things that make the Sauk Valley such a wonderful place to live. We wouldn’t have hundreds of nonprofits, churches, volunteer groups, and social clubs.

We wouldn’t have businesses that reinvest locally, excellent schools, parks and recreation spaces, or community events that bring people together. And we certainly wouldn’t have food pantries, addiction recovery programs, homeless shelters, services for survivors of domestic violence, youth programming, or specialized support for seniors and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

In short, without thoughtfulness, we wouldn’t be the Sauk Valley.

That’s why I was disturbed recently when I came across a social media post from a local political figure. In that post, this individual lashed out at the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce over a few sentences on its website and an interfaith prayer at an annual fundraiser for agricultural scholarships. The website statement was simple: a vision of a Sauk Valley where everyone feels welcome, supported, and has a fair chance at success.

The prayer, meanwhile, was offered so that people from different faith traditions and Christian denominations could share in a moment of unity before a meal.

In other words, what drew this political figure’s anger was Sauk Valley residents doing what they have always done best – being thoughtful.

Think about that.

Joe Strabala-Bright is a member of the Sterling City Council.