beBetter 

Having the intent for HORNE and myself to make a difference during this time of social unrest, I wanted to share my prayer with you. Only with an intentional sense of belonging that provides each of us the safe place to share will we make the progress we all desire. It’s not one huge step. It’s lots of small steps, prayers and conversations every day that will turn the tide on individual and systemic racism. Together we can #beEvenBetter every day. Let’s not only pray together—let’s make progress together. 

Life lessons learned at the airport have become almost commonplace for me and last week’s trip was no exception. As I sat in seat 19C, I opened my Kindle to finish the latest book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I was barely halfway down the first page when I felt it. Someone was staring at me, and it was the lady sitting right next to me in the window seat. “Oh no,” I thought. “I have a talker.” A situation that is a big threat to an introvert like myself.

Do you ever have those moments when something strikes you as profound, but as you reflect on it you realize—well that’s just common sense? Why am I just realizing this? “Listening is caring” is profound for me simply because I had never intentionally connected the dots.

We recently moved to a new home and Jazzy, our slightly spoiled 14-year-old Yorkie, has been adjusting to his new surroundings. Like what pillow will I sleep on today? Tough decisions no small dog should have to make.

My wife, Cece, had instructed me several times to watch Jazzy when I let him outside to do his business. "He is not familiar with his new home." Now how dumb can a dog be—why would you stray from this set up?

When I was around nine years old, I ignored some sage advice from Mom and well, it ended badly. Shocked, aren’t you? 

Have you ever ignored your mother’s advice to later discover she knew what she was talking about? I seemed to have experienced that a lot growing up, but at the time, I really didn’t think she knew anything. Well, on this day, she did.