STORIES REMIND US OF OUR HUMANITY Humans Helping Humans Stories of humans helping humans have brought me to tears more than once this week. What is it about acts of kindness, courage, or unselfishness that evoke such profound emotion? Hurricane Harvey’s devastation in Texas has brought much of our country back to basics. As we …
I HAVEN’T HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE Deeper Connections Whether you see your parents and grandparents every day or talk to them once a month, I guarantee they have a story you haven’t heard yet. Sometimes, you know the story exists. These stories are often traumatic such as living through the Holocaust, fighting in a war, …
DO YOU SAY, “THANK YOU AND WELCOME HOME” OFTEN ENOUGH? Thank You for Your Service and Welcome Home A few years ago I attended a presentation by a personal history colleague and mentor Mary O’Brien-Tyrrell. She served in Vietnam as a nurse, and during her talk, she described the mood of the country when she …
YOUR MOTHER’S STORY IS AS ORDINARY AS SEA GLASS A humble gem My cousin collects sea glass—shards of ordinary glass bottles discarded without a thought that eventually wash up on shore. The waves and glass wrestle in the world’s infinite rock tumbler. Eventually, the glass submits and a polite dance begins—back and forth, back and …
5 STEPS TO IDENTIFY AND SHARE YOUR FAMILY VALUES Shared Values Years ago, I worked for MBNA America, an extraordinary organization. If you found yourself in an MBNA facility, you knew their values. You knew exactly what was important to MBNA’s leaders. The overarching value—THINK OF YOURSELF AS A CUSTOMER—was displayed above every single …