I received an email with a video link today that makes me feel good about Americans and I’ll bet it makes you feel the same way regardless of which direction you lean politically about this damn war that we’re in the midst of. You may already have heard about Kaziah Hancock, but just in case you haven’t I want to share her story with you.  

Kaziah is an artist living on a ranch in Manti, Utah and she paints portraits in her bedroom studio. Of course lots of people all over the world probably paint portraits and probably many of those painters also do a good job. But it’s Kaziah’s subjects that make her art special. Putting aside temporarily her own art which she’s earned $1,000 or more per portrait for, she has taken on the task of painting portraits of every soldier killed in the war. Then she carefully packs the painting, framed and ready to hang, into boxes and FedEx’s them to the parents or loved ones. A five-minute video introduces you to the recipient of one of Kaziah’s portraits, and if you watch it (click here) you’ll feel the heart strings tug. And you’ll also hear Kaziah’s own explanation about why she does it. Better have some tissues handy.

Best of all, she doesn’t accept any money for these gifts, not one thin dime! Like I say, people like Kaziah Hancock make me feel really good about living in the United States and Utah.