Jolly Old Elves

Last night we talked about the grinches of the year, tonight are the jolly people that made 2013 such a nice place to live.  Though, it's quite hard to remember who exactly was jolly this year.  I suppose grumpy misadventures stand out more than kindness and love today, which is really quite sad.  But the wonderful thing is, even though they often don't get all the spotlight, those jolly elves do exist!

1. Justin Tucker and Torrey Smith: I have to say, I'm not sure there's a grinch in all of the Ravens organization.  They're all pretty down to earth, happy go lucky guys from what I can tell.  However, these 2 just signify what a sports figure should be.  They are always smiling and joking with fans and teammates alike.  More importantly, they get involved in the community and with kids who adore them for it.  I'm hoping Justin and his right foot, and Torrey and his million dollar hands stick around here in Baltimore for a very long time.

2. The cast of the Good Wife: The Good Wife does a majority of their filming in New York.  In the wake of Super Storm Sandy, they decided to help the community start to rebuild.  This year to celebrate their 100th episode, instead of throwing a huge party, they decided to get back out there with Habitat for Humanity, and rehab a few more houses.  What an awesome group of people!

3. Pope Francis: I have to say, I'm still a bit on the fence about him.  He seems to be doing some good things for the disadvantaged but he says things here and there that bring us back into the dark ages.  However, he really does seem to be doing a great deal of good.  He's already shunned an extravagant papal apartment, visited with the hoards of well-wishers in the Vatican, and more importantly, spoke out on human rights and the rights of the poor.  While I may not agree with everything he has to say all the time, he seems to be doing a world of good in shaking up the Catholic church, which is what we've needed for quite some time!

4.  The British Gentleman Society: This is my umbrella term for all those kind English blokes that are so popular right now (Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, Mark Gatiss, Matt Smith, Martin Freeman, etc.)  They're in such high demand that I wouldn't blame them if they were snobby, and grumpy and mean to all their underlings and fans that want constant attention.  But that's  not the case at all.  You never hear a bad word spoken about them and they are never less than the perfect gentleman with people who adore them, the press, on set, etc. (Just take a look at Pinterest for evidence!) Stars such as Kanye, or Bieber could learn a bit from them regarding how to avoid looking like smug self-entitled rich boys in the public eye.

I know I've missed loads, but as I said earlier, it's always harder to remember the ones that stay happy and calm in the face of crisis, rather than the ones that fly off the handle!