On Love:

There is nothing like the sound of dozens of paddles hitting pickleballs on courts cloaked in PNW summer sun paired with a gentle Green Lake breeze. There is nothing like the sound of waves drowned out by music and the chatter of hundreds of people on the shores of Golden Gardens watching the sunset. There is nothing like the sweet sound of Bill Withers’ voice playing on Vinyl at 857 NW 65th St on a Thursday evening as people wine and dine at the Dibble House. There is nothing like the sound of birds chirping and trees swaying while walking through the architecturally diverse neighborhood of Ballard that has been my home for the past year. Seattle, you have been good to me. I will miss you and all of your beautiful sounds.  

P.S. Tell your quirky brother, Portland, that I’m looking forward to getting to know him better. I’ll see you soon Seattle.

On Justice:

We live in a world that relegates the poor, the unhoused, and the hungry to the outskirts of our society. Our world is made up of systems and policies that reinforce people to stay in perpetual cycles of marginalization. It’s our duty to educate ourselves on how these systems function so that maybe one day we can be a part of changing them. Awareness is the hammer that breaks the chains of injustice. Awareness is the first tool we need to create systems that are more just, more generous, and more loving for the people who need them most.

On Generosity:

Moving is an endeavor. A taxing one at that. While it may be exciting and thrilling theoretically, the actual act of moving is one that I dread. This past weekend I moved to Portland, Oregon for a new job at a nonprofit called The Contingent. The move required the help of many generous people (my sister, old roomates, new roomates, and others) who gave up their days to help me pack, load a U-haul, unload a U-Haul, clean and organize, fill a U-haul with junk, unload that junk at a dump, and clean and organize some more. You get the gist. At face value helping someone move may not seem like that big of a deal, but the reality is that it’s a life-saver. It’s an act of generosity that saves backs from breaking, reduces the stress that comes with plopping your life down in a new city, and literally lightens the load on the person who is moving. For you who helped, I am grateful. To those who read this, help the people in your life move, it’s one of the greatest things you can ever do for someone.

A question for the day:

• What is one way you can improve the lives of the people around you today?

Resource of the Week:

Article: Here’s how you and I likely contributed to homelessness in Seattle by Michael Larson

• My op-ed was published in The Seattle Times this past week. The article is about how my move to Seattle last summer played a role in contributing to homelessness. Feel free to respond to this email with your thoughts.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in taking this journey towards more Love, more Justice, and more Generosity in their own life and in the world, please send them this link which will allow them to sign up (or copy and send: https://ljg.beehiiv.com/subscribe).

Thank you for being here.

With Love, Justice, and Generosity,

Michael Larson