Appreciating You

Most of you opened an email to get to this post. You may have dozens of others sitting in your inbox, but you opened this one. Most of you do it every Monday morning. I want to take a moment just to tell you that I don’t take you for granted. I appreciate you.

Seek First to Understand

My friend, Jack Frederick, recently posted a piece on Facebook reflecting on the current racial tension in the US. I want to share some portions of it with you. As you read, please know that Jack and his wife, who are white, have reached out to people of different races for many years. Jack has made sacrifices to teach in many inner city schools and Historic Black Colleges. He walks the talk. This is a longer post than readers are used to in this space, but there are times when more is needed.

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” (one of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”)

I want to speak frankly and honestly in humility; I will make mistakes and be misunderstood so I ask you to hear my words with kindness and grace. I’m searching like many to understand. I ask that you please not respond to this as a political statement; it is not. I’m not telling you ‘how it is’, I do not have the answers, I’m just wrestling like you are.

How Much for a Hug?

The following is from Sheila's blog "My Bucket of Sand."

Do you remember seeing a YouTube video of a man on a busy sidewalk holding a sign offering “Free Hugs”? At first people were skeptical and ignored him. Then a few people took him up on his offer and found it was a bargain. They took/gave a hug, and they cashed in on a surge of serotonin. They replenished their “happy hormone.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4)