I don't know how tomorrow is already Thursday or how it is officially December or how it is possible that Jackson is going to be 10 months in just a few days. It's as if someone pressed the fast forward button on my life without my permission.
In any case this week seems to be going by especially fast, partly due to the fact that I am in the midst of a week full of global meetings at work- this is where my teammates fly in from around the world so we can meet face to face. I see each of them periodically throughout the year, but it is rare that we're all in the same place at once.
Today, as I was looking around the room my thoughts started to drift from the conversation at hand and I started to think about how incredible it is that out of the small group assembled, almost each person was from a completely different place, country even. We stemmed from around the globe, every where from the US to South Korea to India, Venezuela, Egypt, Mexico, China, Italy and many others in between. Each of us coming from strikingly different places with different backgrounds, upbringings, religions, beliefs, habits, cultures... you name it, all of us "different" in every sense of the word. But, you know what, knowing each of these people, some more deeply than others, I know for a fact that we're not all that different.
Sure, there are some "on the surface" things that set us apart. We look a little different. We have slightly different mannerisms and ways of communicating. There are some language barriers. But, at the heart of it, at the center of all that really matters, we're all pretty much the same. They all love their kids and families just as much as I love Jackson and Dan. They all work hard. Harder than hard. They are driven beyond belief and thrive in constant learning and challenges. They're all just moms/dad/sisters/brothers/friends who are working hard to live their lives the best way they know how. Just like you, just like me.
This is a lesson that I have learned first hand many, many times through the work I do. You see, a lot of the work that I do has to do with understanding the dreams, motivations, needs and desires of people from around the world, with the goal of being able to design ideas and products that will have global appeal. This goal has enabled me to study the lives of people, mostly women, from literally every corner of the globe and what I have found time and time again is that at the end of the day we all share the same basic fears and dreams.
I'm not sure what major "point" I'm trying to make with this somewhat of a ramble except that I realize many times how blessed I am to have had the opportunities I have been given to see the world from a view point that many of the people in my life have never had exposure to. Not only am I thankful for these blessings, but more importantly I feel the weight of responsibility that comes along with such understanding to ensure that I pass it along to others, especially my children.
I can't help but think that God has given me this immense passion for writing and sharing my random string of thoughts such as the one above with others for a reason and so 'thank you' for even considering reading along and listening to what runs through my mind. I hope my experiences prove to be valuable from time to time and I hope that in return you'll share with me some of yours. Because at the end of the day we're all just trying to live life to the fullest, to enjoy it as much as possible, to make our mark, to leave it a little better than how we found it... and we can only do that with God and with each other.
And if none of that connected with you then at least this will hopefully make you smile. This is JP from bath time tonight. He thought his mama's funny noises were HILARIOUS!
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