Barra-land was a pretty good place to be this week. It was one of those weeks that quietly restores your faith in humanity.

Nothing earth-shattering. Just a collection of little reminders that people are, more often than not, pretty good.

It started with the dog owners of Perth. Last week I wrote about my four-legged mate Frank, and the response was overwhelming. So many messages about the unconditional love, loyalty and companionship our pets bring into our lives. Several times during the week I was stopped by dog lovers who simply wanted to tell me how much their own furry friends meant to them.

We all seemed to agree on one thing. If we could borrow just a few of the best qualities of our dogs, the world would be a much better place. Dogs don’t care what car you drive, what house you live in or whether you’ve had a bad day. They greet you like you’ve just returned from conquering Everest, even if you’ve only been to put the bins out.

There’s probably a lesson in that. Then there was a phrase I spotted on a swimmer’s cap that I shared with you last week. “You’ll never regret a swim.”

The more I thought about it, the more it stayed with me.

Sometimes a handful of words cuts straight through the noise. It’s not really about swimming at all. It’s about doing the things you know will make you feel better, even when you don’t particularly feel like doing them.

Our relationship with water begins when we’re kids. A warm bath on a winter’s night, diving under bubble-bath foam wearing an old pair of goggles. Then come beach holidays, backyard pools, snorkelling adventures and, for many of us, swimming simply because it clears the head.

I’ve never climbed out of the ocean wishing I’d given it a miss. Funny how the right words can stay with you.

Another thing that stayed with me this week was The Diary Of Anne Frank.

Drew Anthony’s production at the Heath Ledger Theatre brought back memories of visiting Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam years ago after reading her diary. Like so many people, I found her bedroom especially moving, with the pictures she had carefully pinned to the walls still preserved behind glass.

Then there’s the attic. Standing there, imagining eight people confined to those tiny rooms for 761 days, is something you never really forget.

Yet despite everything she endured, Anne Frank wrote one of history’s most extraordinary sentences:

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

I still can’t get my head around that. The chances of me making a statement like that in those circumstances would be absolutely zero.

That level of hope, forgiveness and grace is almost beyond comprehension.

The production reminded me once again of the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the remarkable ability some people have to hold onto optimism, even in humanity’s darkest moments.

My week ended on a much lighter note with another reminder about kindness.

Pat Jenzen, the mother of Perth Football Club great Graham Jenzen, celebrated her 100th birthday. Pat is also a passionate Fremantle supporter, and someone wondered whether Andrew Brayshaw might be able to drop in and say hello.

He didn’t hesitate. There were no cameras. No social media posts. No publicity.

Just one busy AFL star making time for a lifelong fan. Watching Pat’s face when Andrew walked through the door was priceless. She’d already received the traditional letter from King Charles, but I suspect Buckingham Palace was briefly upstaged by the captain-in-waiting from Cockburn.

That simple act told me everything I needed to know about Andrew.

Talent gets you noticed. Character is what people remember.

What Andy did, he did because he’s a good bloke. And that’s exactly how he plays his footy.

It’s never about personal accolades. Never about individual statistics. He’d sacrifice his own game in a heartbeat if it meant making his team better.

That’s a rare quality, and it’s one of the reasons Freo are flying.

Football clubs are built on talent, but premierships are built on character. Humility, in modern football, is every bit as rare as talent.

That’s why Dockers fans don’t just admire Andrew Brayshaw.

They love him. No fuss, no fanfare, just kindness. Maybe that’s why this week felt a little different.

A dog wagging its tail. A simple swimming quote. Anne Frank’s enduring optimism. A footballer making a wonderful woman’s day.

Moments that remind us life is usually better than we think. Sometimes restoring your faith in humanity doesn’t require anything extraordinary.

It’s just looking around and paying attention to the ordinary. Just like Frank does.