I’ve been thinking a lot about love these past few months. In my naiveté, I always believed love could get you through. It’s gotten me through my toughest times because someone loved me and held me up so it led me to believe it worked for everyone. This year, I’ve met some folks, on a deep personal level, that were loved and it didn’t work. And really bad things happened to them and they, in fact, did really bad things in return. It’s hard to explain. And it’s not necessary to explain. What is necessary to explain though is my own myth was exploded. Love wasn’t the answer. It sure helps though especially when love doesn’t waiver.
I watched an interview with Wes Moore this weekend. I think he’s such an amazing man and if you haven’t read his books or seen any of his interviews, they’re worth a look. As a reminder, Wes Moore wrote the book, The Other Wes Moore. It’s a powerful true story of two men named Wes Moore, one a Rhodes Scholar and one a murderer who grew up blocks and worlds apart. During the interview, he was asked about how you know you’re doing what is right for you. Wes Moore also wrote, The Work.
As you think about what calls you to service, you might want to read this book. During the interview, there was also a moment when they spoke about what you fight for and who you stand with. That’s when I realized that maybe I’d been thinking about love being the answer quite naively. Love isn’t weak. It’s strong and powerful. And can stand in the storm. It is about who you stand with and who you’ll fight for. It can be ferocious. If you’re up for the fight to raise more than $1.2 million over the next few months, it’s about time to volunteer for the United Way campaign. Over the next few months, a small and mighty group of volunteers raise that amazing amount of money to help people in need in our community. They stand with all of us. They fight for all of us. They are doing the work! Let me know what you think. Email me at deeanne@unitedwayofjacksoncounty.org. Onward,
