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Give me a Break

We all need downtime. Farmers know to leave land fallow for a period to allow the soil to regain the nutrients necessary for a full crop the season thereafter. If we run our bodies at full throttle consistently throughout the year, our bodies will force us to take a break, but it will be no fun: it'll be in a hospital or in an emergency room. We're build to require rest.

This Memorial Day weekend is intensely special: we pause to honor the brave who take action to protect our American Way. Nothing's perfect: so America can be criticized for many flaws, but all in all we do many wonderful things for humankind and our military folks sometimes give their lives so we can keep pursuing the dream of America.

Today, as part of my break from work, my partner and I had the privilige of hearing stories of New York City on a bus tour from Sherwood. He's pretty amazing--Vietnam buddies who died close by, close running partners who died in the 9/11 attacks--he's glad to be alive and shares his love of the city with visitors from all over the world. We were both moved to tears, especially as he opined about a world without war (a messed up way to solve problems), terrorism, racism and homophobia. The juxtaposition was startling and powerful. We have to do better he exhorted. Humankind has to find a way. I almost choked up again when we passed the Vietnam Memorial in the city. He shared his experiences and the resulting PTSD and how he works to keep it together to move forward. And he shared his joy about life today. You'd never know from his face, the way he carries himself so assuredly in the world, the terrors he's lived through. He's real--a true face for service rendered and respect due.

And in that moment, I saw how purposeful we all can be. We can love ourselves better, hold our families closer, our partners and let that love seep into our relationships with co-workers towards work we love, and to the strangers we touch each day. We can show each other basic respect. War is a mess and we need better ways to sort out differences. This world can be better than it is and it starts with us. We were inspired, our wells are re-filling and we know that after this break we'll return to work with softer edges, be more productive, and more loving.

Live well and salute our country's brave.

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