These Meet in the Middle posts are not usually personal in nature, but this week I'd like to take a moment to share a personal reflection...

I've been caught up in the warmth of the holidays over the past few weeks.  Everywhere I've been---restaurants, grocery stores, friends' homes, bookstores, coffee shops, gas stations---everyone has been full of good cheer. I've been grateful for the kindness and care shown by friends and strangers alike.

On Christmas Eve, I attended an evening carol sing-along at a small community church.  Between the carols, there were readings and responses.  

The phrase for the congregation to repeat was...

"Let Every Heart Make Room!"

We chimed in together several times...

"Let Every Heart Make Room!"

​And each time, the words struck a chord in me...

"Let Every Heart Make Room!"

That's the key, isn't it?

If we can make room in our hearts for each other during the holidays, surely we can continue to make room all year long.

Let's make room in our hearts as Americans...

For those who think differently.
For those who vote differently.
For those who challenge us in different ways.

They say the Grinch's heart grew three sizes in one day--
Let's see how much room we can make in our hearts. 

Let's make 2018 the Year of Making Room for one another!

Jen for The Purple Living Room Team

Here's a Purple Living Room Project holiday sing-along...

Deck the Halls with Points of Purple,

Fa La La La La,
La La La La!

Find a view that's universal!

Fa La La La La,
​La La La La!

Don we now our listening ears,

Fa La La La La,
​La La La La!

Help the discord disappear!

Fa La La La La,
​La La La La!

The Purple Living Room Team

The holiday season in full swing!

Twinkling lights, tasty treats, hustle and bustle, family and friends.

There are many reasons for us to spend time with
the ones we love at this time of year.

Dinners, parties, brunches, gift exchanges, concerts, sporting events...

These gatherings are warm and merry and delightful

and stressful.

How do we deal with THOSE family members?  
You know the ones.  
The ones who think differently than we do.  
The ones who vote differently than we do.
The ones who think they know best.

​In an effort to keep the peace,
we often avoid talking about what matters to us most.

Maybe it's time to try something new.

Maybe instead of ignoring the differences,
we should look for an opportunity to bridge the divide. 

This holiday season, try looking at THOSE relatives with PURPLE vision!

What can we find in common?  
How can we make connections?
​What are our Purple Points?

Try out the Purple Points Protocol with your family and see what happens.

Maybe this year, while we are giving gifts to each other,
​we can give the gift of common ground to our country. 

We wish you a joyful and purple holiday season!

-The Purple Living Room Team

We don't usually discuss current political events in this blog space.
​
The news cycle spins so quickly that it makes everyone dizzy.

We don't usually talk about particular people in politics, either.  

The point of the Purple Living Room Project is that
it doesn't matter who has political power at any given moment...

We the people still have the power to find common ground.

While that is our general policy, it's time to address...

​President Donald J. Trump

Love him or hate him, he is our president.

AND

Love him or hate him, you probably feel pretty strongly about your opinion.

We can still find common ground together.

REALLY?

Yes, really.

President Trump takes up a lot of space in our conversations these days. 

And while we're busy focusing on this one individual,
the important work of finding common ground gets pushed aside.

The search for  Purple Points  is a BIG idea.
Bigger than any one person.
Bigger than any one moment in political history. 

The search is an ongoing process.
It takes time and dedication...and focus.

Let's not let ourselves be distracted.
Let's keep looking. 

Choose one small issue at a time and see where
​you can find purple points with someone who disagrees with you. 

Don't worry so much about who voted for whom.
​Don't let that stand in the way of finding common ground.

Let's leave the elephant outside the room during our conversations.

Maybe then we'll have the space to actually listen to one another speak.

-The Purple Living Room Team