The bulk of the people at the ball game like sports (or like people that like sports) and the same goes for the Opera and the coffee shop.  We’re drawn to things we like and people like us are drawn there too.

So why is it that I felt like such an outsider in communities in which I had every right to belong?

And yet despite the language barriers and religious differences, love translates.  Steve loves Guzel and his family and helps him meet his needs. That is beautiful.    

The adjectives we use pass judgement on the nouns they describe.  ‘Best burger in town’ is a declarative statement and creates judgement on other burgers in town.  Now, I’m assessing the burger and you as assessor.  

Urgency and drama keep our attention, yet it’s the subtlety of slow that should warrant our diligence. 

 She had earned her spot in the inner circle because she had 1) history with the leaders 2) held the senior leaders’ stories and 3) had history with the organization.

At age 9, I was asked for my strength; something I could contribute that my younger siblings couldn’t.  At 19, the labor increased as those I served with slipped disks and busted hips, relying on my not-yet degenerate lumbar for setup.  At 29, I shifted from carrying folding chairs to carrying babies.  At 39, I wonder. I wonder what’s asked of me?

We are not machines.  We are living souls that must breathe.  Rest allows the body to exhale while restoration allows the should to breathe in.  We need both. Find those things that bring life.   

Anytime we cower to our fear, we lose.  The opportunity to engage more fully with one another is sacrificed on the altar of safety. So we vilify the other person, making her the villain in the story because as long as she’s the villain, I can be the hero and heroes aren’t wrong.