"Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry.

"The story of civilization is the story of what happened on the banks. Historians are pessimists because they ignore the banks for the river." - Preface to the first volume of The Story of Civilization by Will Durant.

I've long loved this quote and use it for a philosophical template of what I hope to achieve each week in this column ... focus on the people on the banks. There's no shortage of doom, gloom, contentiousness and negativity to be found without much effort. After a long, gray winter we're grateful for the promise of spring, with summer soon to follow. Beyond the weather we can make a difference in our communities by volunteering and contributing and being activists to change. Do I have opinions on current events, local, regional and national? You bet. Do I need to shout them from the rooftop? Not at all. Those who know me know those opinions and those who don't probably could not care less.

An acquaintance recently asked if I was always in a good mood. Simple answer, no. But each day when I wake up I make an effort to embrace the positive and be a blessing in someone's life, while being grateful for the many blessings in my own.

I continue to be awed by the resilience of the human spirit and the generosity of those among us who have the least.

The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll continue to shine the light on the banks of the community where historians rarely tread.

A blessed Easter to all.

Happy birthday today to Jamie Green, Katherin Pope, Dan Dunham, Sharon Erickson, Chris Magera, Susan Reynolds, Lynne Wiedemann and Julie Harris. Tomorrow Cindy Sweeney, Brandon Clearwater, James Heilman, Barb Forgacs, Robert Durflinger, Richard Wegner and Page Hibbs will blow out their birthday candles. On Friday Bob Koep, Mary Hawkins and Bo Gerzina mark another year. Gloria Weidner, Tabetha Brisbin, Linda Schmidt and Kathleen Perez were born on March 30. Easter Sunday birthdays will be celebrated by Gloria Weidner, Tabetha Brisbin, and Linda Schmidt. Starting the week with another trip around the sun are Ed Frazey, Martha Goose, Kim Haddock, Steve Gibbs, Candi Applegate, Chris Thompson and Payton Peugh on Monday and Jonathan Owens, Judi Jackson (50!), Dallan Pope, Taylor Huber, Kathy Willy, Beth Barclay, Nell Gordon and Lee Periman on Tuesday.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2012 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri is on the air Mondays and Wednesdays on 1080 ESPN AM (KVNI). Find her on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com.