Happy Wednesday! This week, we’ll take a break from checking in on our speakers and look at the Olympics.
It’s a happy coincidence that the Summer Olympics always occur during a Presidential campaign in the US. Political dialogue in an election year is often heated, and never more so than this year. We can lose sight of our common humanity, our common culture and values, when the rhetoric gets turned up.
But the Olympics serve as a reminder of our shared humanity; of our pride in our country’s athletes – and by extension, pride in our country and the people who represent it in a hundred different ways. Our volunteer military members who put themselves in harm’s way; our firefighters who run into burning buildings; our teachers who strive to bring out the best in their pupils; our friends and neighbors who come to our aid in our hour of need.
It was not long ago that Boston suffered the Marathon bombing tragedy. What I will most remember from that day is that lines formed to give blood at local hospitals even before the ambulances started arriving. Americans show their best side in the darkest moments. Let’s try to remember that – and show our best side, every chance we get.