A thought on Love:

It’s a choice we make. It’s not a feeling, at least not the unconditional and sacrificial love that I’m referring to here. It’s a decision to put a person’s needs above your own, and it’s hard to do consistently. When we do, we have the power to transform ourselves and the people around us, but it takes time.

I grew up in a household with four siblings. One sister and three brothers. My single mother, Dori, did everything she could to make sure all of our needs were met. Having to play the role of two parents created a challenging environment in the home. We seldom used the word “love” in our household. Inspired by a leadership camp I attended going into my junior year of high school, I made a commitment to myself to start telling my mom I loved her. It was awkward at first. I could tell it caught her off guard and made her uncomfortable. She hadn’t grown up in a household that regularly used the word “love.” After a few weeks she began to reciprocate it. Then, over a year later as I was running out the door to a high school event, she said it first, “Love you, be safe.” “I will. Love you too,” I yelled back as I closed the door behind me, with a big smile on my face. The word is used widely in my family now. How do you spell love? - T.I.M.E.

A thought on Justice:

In a world fraught with injustice, it is hard to remain hopeful about where we are headed. I’m sure a few issues come up for you when I bring up the word injustice. At least for me, there’s a feeling that not enough is being done to solve the social issues of our time. It feels to me we’re often taking steps backwards. Today, I want to make an argument for why we must stand firm in holding onto our hope of creating a more loving, just, and generous world. 

Bryan Stevenson, a hero of mine and a powerful legal advocate for innocent people who have been convicted and placed on death row, says, “Hopelessness is the enemy of justice. Hope allows us to push forward, even when the truth is distorted by the people in power.” Without hope we become complicit in the issues affecting our world, nation, cities, and neighborhoods.

We must remain hopeful, because when I think about my own life as an African American and Black man in America, I’ve had opportunities that Black people a century ago only ever dreamed of. I have the right to vote, I’ve graduated with my bachelor’s degree from a private university, I can drink at any water fountain I choose, I’m not banned from entering certain restaurants because of the color of my skin. People organized, marched, and died for the rights and opportunities I now enjoy. Every action we take now to fight injustice may potentially have ripple effects for generations. Even in the face of despair, we must not lose hope. 

A thought on Generosity:

Mr. Chocolate was a man I met at Mission Park in Spokane, WA. I was with a group of students handing out meals and care packages to people experiencing homelessness. I handed him a meal and a care package next to his car with all his belongings in it. He thanked our group and offered me a couple cans of cherry coke soda that he grabbed from the back of his car. We said thank you for the offer, but didn’t take the cans. “So you can give, but you can’t receive,” he said to us. I’ve never forgotten those words. It’s often harder to receive than it is to give. Be generous, but keep your heart open to receiving.

A question for the day: 

• Picture yourself five years ago. What would they think of the person you’ve become? Picture your ideal self five years from now. What do you need to start doing now to become that person? 

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