Happy Holidays

I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
"I love you"

I've always liked these lyrics from Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Sometimes we convey messages indirectly by using a phrase or greeting that feels safer or more familiar.

It disheartens me greatly to note how the topic of greetings during this time of year has almost become weaponized for some. When greeting someone with "Merry Christmas" -- or not -- ends up raising tension, it's sad.

I hope that no matter what you believe or how you choose to express it, when you say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" or "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" or any other greetings I may be missing, what you're really saying is "I wish you peace, happiness, kindness, and understanding."

It doesn't matter so much how you say it...it matters so much more that you feel it.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Zadie

You showed me simple joy by taking walks, playing with toys, getting belly rubs, or playing ball and tug of war. But what you really showed me is that there is no greater joy than simply being around those you love.

Rest in peace Zadie.

Thank You Senator John McCain

I have always had mixed feelings and thoughts about John McCain. Perhaps this reflects that he is a complex man who has lived through complex times. I fully appreciate that multiple courageous Senators in both the Republican and Democratic party, especially Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, made it possible to defeat a Healthcare bill that was cynical in both content and process (and Google Senator Mazie Hirono for a Democratic profile in courage). But I do think McCain deserves to be recognized. From what I understand procedurally, he voted for the bill to come to the floor so that he could shut it down with last night's vote, meaning that the Republicans can not bring forward another healthcare bill for at least the rest of this fiscal year. In practical terms, it might mean that they probably can not bring forward another healthcare bill until at least after the midterm elections. If the bill had not come to the floor, then this madness could have continued.

No doubt he counted on the strength and courage of others but, given his position, he did choose to send a powerful message. I disagree with John McCain on many topics, but I also remember him during the 2008 Presidential election outshouting a woman who was demonizing Barack Obama by saying "No, ma'am, he's a decent Christian man." (The Christian part was because she was claiming Obama is Muslim). McCain is about to undergo chemotherapy so this may be his last act as a Senator. Combined with his impassioned plea to restore bipartisanship and civility to The House, I think this is a finest -- and perhaps final -- hour moment. In our current political climate, I'll applaud any act of courage and integrity.

Deliberate Act of Kindness

ESPN has a show called SCFeatured that describes itself as "the power of sports." This particular story is much more about the power of kindness. It's a story about a dog named Arthur but more so about someone's kindness inspired by Arthur.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18814225

When I was a child, my grandmother had a dog named Scotty. Along with a couple of my cousins, I would feed Scotty pieces of bread. My grandmother one day told me that I should give the bread to the poor people who are everywhere in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She wondered why I was being kind to a dog when so many people were suffering. I can imagine that some people who view the story of Arthur might wonder if this group of Swedes would have had the same reaction to a person.

Fair question.

But my grandmother also apparently told my mother and my aunts that if they encountered a man who did not like kids or dogs or cats, they should probably avoid him. I compare these two pieces of advice from my grandmother to highlight the importance of kindness, no matter what may bring out your kindness.

George Saunders said it very well:

"Find out what makes you kinder, what opens you up and brings out the most generous, and unafraid version of you--and go after those things as if nothing else matters.

Because, actually, nothing else does."

So this ESPN video is actually a story about what brings out the most kind version of Mikael Lindnord. And, hopefully, many of us.