I’m still thinking about how great Brene Brown’s talk was this week. Thank you to my friend, Cindy Clifford for inviting me to go. For those who do not know of Brene’s work, she has spent her entire career studying shame and vulnerability, and how it affects our lives and those with whom we come into contact. Her message is profound, yet simple. One the discussion points in her newest book, “Braving the Wilderness” was about how we have self sorted into communities that think just like us. We watch and read news from our point of view and we dehumanize those who disagree. This is both sides of the aisle by the way. (The “we” is a generalization and not meant to point fingers so please don’t be offended!) Instead of making us happier by sorting studies show it has actually made us more lonely. Get her book for all the details, but people are not a sum of their political beliefs. 🙂
One of my most profound moments last week in the aftermath of Harvey was talking to my friend, Jeff Bogran as we mucked out a friend’s house together. We don’t always agree on politics, but we do agree on service to our fellow human beings. We both acknowledged to one another that it is, after all, a way more important value at the end of the day than our political ideaology. I also was reminded he is a damned funny guy and he and his wife, Ann Mommessin Bogran are both wonderful people!  
Harvey, you totally suck, but the silver lining is you have helped remind Houston that we love big even when we look differently, speak differently, think differently and vote differently. It also reminded us that we can still like each other a lot and have some great conversations if we are kind to each other and ask good questions. #MiraclesStillHappen #HoUStonStrong