This month, the world hit the "PAUSE" button on everything. Before we press "PLAY" once more, let's take this moment to appreciate what we've learned. We can work together. We can make sacrifices. We can help those in need. We can lift each other up. We can consider the common good. We can find common ground. This week, Broadway legends celebrated the 90th birthday of composer, lyricist, and national treasure, Stephen Sondheim. During the celebration, Brian Stokes Mitchell sang a Sondheim piece called "Flag Song". It ends like this... "For a minute you’re aware Of feeling proud, And then suddenly you’re staring At the crowd And you’re thinking, “There’s no link I can see, They’re as different from me As they possibly could be—” Then you see The idea… And you know It’s a dream, And you know It isn’t perfect, And at times It may seem To go awry. Then that flag goes by, And no matter how you sigh, “It’s the bright blue sky, It’s just Mom and apple pie,” There’s this thing you can’t deny, This idea: That it’s fixable tomorrow, We’ve a chance, There’s a choice. We can change ourselves tomorrow, We’re in charge, We’ve a voice, An idea about tomorrow To remember When the flag has gone by." From "Flag Song" by Stephen Sondheim We have this shared
IDEA about tomorrow. Let's use this moment to regroup and reflect and remember that when we press "PLAY" again and jump into tomorrow, we can change ourselves. We're in charge. Let's use our voices. We can fix tomorrow together.
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COVID-19
is everywhere... on the internet, on magazine covers, on television, on cruise ships, on talk radio, on airplanes, and... on every continent except Antarctica. It's a fierce reminder that our world is truly connected and that empathy for one another is more important than ever. It's remarkable how communities around the world have joined together to try and slow the spread of COVID-19. We know that we MUST work together. This virus also reminds us why we use the expression GOING VIRAL. COVID-19 is on the MOVE and it doesn't care if you're rich or poor, urban or rural, conservative or liberal. What if we could share empathy as quickly? In these uncertain times, let's support each another and try to make empathy go viral. Be well. Be kind. Listen. Share. Care. Wash your hands. Stay balanced. Stay healthy. Stay positive. Let's work together to make EMPATHY GO VIRAL. Does your heart
leap when you see a rainbow? YES! Does your heart leap when you see a sunrise? ALWAYS! Does your heart leap when you see a baby? OF COURSE! Does your heart leap when you see someone with a different political viewpoint? WHAT?!?!?! Our stomachs might lurch, our brows might furrow, but our hearts probably aren't leaping. Why not? Let's change that! This Leap Year, let's try to find the joy and wonder in discussion. Let's try to approach one another with the awe and reverence we usually reserve for rainbows. Let's challenge ourselves to find delight in finding common ground. We have an extra day this year to make it happen... Let's LEAP forward together! Happy Leap Day! In honor of Presidents' Day,
here is a bit of presidential wisdom from the past to inspire us to find common ground in the future... "Too often...we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -John F. Kennedy "In religious and in secular affairs, the more fervent beliefs attract followers. If you are a moderate in any respect - if you're a moderate on abortion, if you're a moderate on gun control, or if you're a moderate in your religious faith - it doesn't evolve into a crusade where you're either right or wrong, good or bad, with us or against us." -Jimmy Carter "The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." -Dwight D. Eisenhower “All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort — a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.” -Barack Obama "In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity." -George H. W. Bush Happy Valentine's Day!
Is that LOVE in the air? Or contempt? Last week, the featured speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast was Arthur Brooks, a prominent conservative thinker and author of Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from a Culture of Contempt. He challenged the audience to become "missionaries for love in the face of contempt". You can read his prepared remarks for the speech in the Washington Post . These days, we don't have to search far to find contempt. It's on display in every news channel and coffee shop and comment section in America. The question is, when we find it, how will we answer it? Can we answer with patience? Can we answer with kindness? Can we answer with LOVE? Let's do our best. "I solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be,) that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God." This was the oath taken by all Senators before the impeachment trial began. But the oath begs the question... Is impartial justice even possible in these divided times? It's likely that the votes will be split along party lines in the Senate... just as they were in the House. Justice is meant to be blind, but we keep wearing those red and blue tinted glasses as a nation. Where does that leave the truth? What does impartial justice look like? Stay tuned... Whatever the outcome of the impeachment trial, we're going to need a lot of purple thinking to move beyond it together, as one nation. It's 2020!
Happy New Year! Can we move into the New Year with 20/20 vision? What would that kind of clarity look like? Can we approach each other with... An open mind? An open heart? 2020 will certainly bring an invitation to division and discord. How will we respond? Will we jump in blindly? Or will we try to see clearly and and consider the facts. We all look at the world through our our own unique shade of blue or red tinted glasses. Can we trade them for purple glasses instead? Let's make a promise to one another to try to look at the world together. Let's move into 2020 with 20/20 vision! Wishing you a joyous holiday season!
Join our purple 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! Happy Holidays! -The Purple Living Room Project It's that festive time of year...
Little ones across the country are drafting letters to St. Nick and sending them off to the North Pole. What's on YOUR wish list? If you could ask Santa for a Purple Present, what would be at the top of your list? Healthcare? Education? Gun reform? Immigration? The Environment? Jobs? Campaign Finance Reform? What matters most to YOU? We can't wait around for Santa, but we can send our wish list to the Senate. One of the goals of the Purple Living Room Project is to find common ground and share our Purple Points with our representatives. Let's give each other the gift of political civility and cooperation this Christmas season. Let's show our elected officials what meaningful conversation and compromise can look like. Perhaps then we can find a path toward meaningful change together in 2020. On Thanksgiving...
Let's spend time with friends and family. Let's tell them that we love them. Let's be grateful for our many blessings. Let's share with those in need. Let's be thankful for one another. Let's remember that we have SO MUCH to be grateful for as a nation! TODAY, let's talk Thanksgiving Turkey and enjoy the day together... TOMORROW, we can get back to business and "Talk Turkey" about how to move FORWARD as a country TOGETHER! Happy Thanksgiving! |
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