Courage: to act, to be congruent

So much happened this week at work.
Too many incredibly awesome opportunities and achievements
for my colleagues and our research team.
The pre-weekend blog post would have highlighted a few of these awesome events. 
(They're listed at the end of this post).

 

This weekend, though, there were three things I read/watched that were so moving that I can't help but share them first. 

The Help 

To celebrate Valentine's Day, I watched 'The Help' (for the second time). 
It's based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett (who spent 5 years writing it and 60 literary agents said no before one said yes). Even though it's fictional, the messages it contains are true. 

I was struck by the courage Aibileen and Milly demonstrated by sharing their experiences in the face of possible imprisonment (and physical harm). I was also impressed by Ms. Skeeter's commitment to compile their stories and to stand up for what was right despite the social pressures of her day.  These women (and men) were united in their commitment to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. None of them, acting independent from one another, could have accomplished what they were able to do together.  They each had a key role to play.  They each needed to play their parts.  And because they did, they were able to do accomplish much good.

 

Amicus Brief
I read an amicus brief submitted to the US Court of Appeals for the 10th circuit in support of traditional marriage.  It was submitted on behalf of five religious organizations, the LDS Church being one of them. (PDF of the brief can be downloaded here).

 

As I read the brief, I was struck by a number of things. Let me just mention one: the sources that are used to argue the case for supporting traditional marriage.  Listed among them are Martin Luther King's speeches, social science research, position statements from various organizations including The Family: A Proclamation to the World (1995).  Perhaps what struck me most, however, was a paper published in the BYU Law Review in 1998. (Eric G. Andersen: Children, Parents, and nonparents: Protected Interests and Legal Standards, 1998 BYU L. Rev. 935, 998.)

 

I don't know Eric Andersen. I thought, at first, that perhaps he was a law student. (I may have a false impression that the majority of law review articles are written by senior law students or recent law school grads...).  When I looked up the article, though, I learned that at the time of its writing, he was a professor of law at the University of Iowa.  He graduated with his JD from BYU in 1977.  So, he was well into his career when he wrote the article.  I don't know the backstory to why he wrote this article.  But, based on the number of people he acknowledged as having provided feedback on it, it seems evident that he put a significant amount of time and effort into writing it. 
(It's been cited 32 times, by the way.)

A few questions came to mind as I thought about how his article (and the many other publications) was cited in the amicus brief:

 

*When he was working on this article, could he have imagined how it would later be used (and in pretty significant ways)?

 

*What if he hadn't written it?

 

*How has this impacted him because he did write it?

Healing: Courage + Action + Grace

I came across recent remarks given by Jonathan Sandberg (a marriage and family therapist and also a professor at BYU) entitled "Healing: Courage + Action + Grace".  It was the BEST investment of 30 minutes that I've made since I can last remember.  Hands down. It's so powerful.  The transcript isn't yet available, otherwise I would paste 12-15 quotes from it.  He talks about the courage to be honest with ourselves, to be congruent with what we believe -- that we are consistent in our public and private lives in acting on what we believe to be right -- and to stand for truth and righteousness.  He shares the thoughts of Elaine Marshall about healing--how it is different from a cure and how it takes time and being awake and present. And how adversity is a channel for growth.

 

Several of the examples Sandberg uses to illustrate what it means to act with courage come from the US Civil Rights movement.  He shares examples from the lives of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and other great women and men: Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and others.  Sandberg shares his own experience being called out by a faculty member at Syracuse University for being more concerned about fitting in than with standing up for what he believed to be right. 

 

It is well worth the time to listen to the full address. 

 

Act with Courage

Reflecting on these three 'messages', I couldn't help but see how both The Help and the Amicus Brief are also beautiful illustrations of Sandberg's formula for healing: Courage + Action + Grace.  Not only is this a formula for individual healing, but has also been the formula for helping us build and heal as families and nations.   

 

To end, I wanted to return to the questions that came to mind, initially when thinking about the Amicus Brief and Andersen's law review article, but equally applicable to the other two 'messages' (The Help and Sandberg's address).

How do these questions read differently when we reframe them a bit?:

 

1. When he was working on this article, could he have imagined how it would later be used (and in pretty significant ways)?

When YOU were working on ____, could you have imagined how it would later be used (and in pretty significant ways)?

When YOU are working on _____, can you imagine how it might be used in the future?

 

2. What if he hadn't have written it?

What if you hadn't written/said/acted on _____?

 

3. How has this impacted him because he did write it?
How has this impacted you because you did write/said/acted on ______?

 

---

 

YOU have a significant role to play. 

If you don't know what it is, go find out.  If you do know what it is, roll up your sleeves.  Get to work.  Go write what you feel compelled to write. Go ask the questions you want answers to. Go say what you need to say.

Act courageously on those thoughts and impressions.

 

 ---

 

 

 

 Here's the pre-weekend post...

  

1. We revamped the website we developed as one of the social impact initiatives for our research project. 

2. Our research team launched the academic writing mentorship program for junior researchers. We had 35 applicants from 14 countries apply.  Pretty amazing!

 

3. The interpreter professional development series was officially announced this week.  We had 2 local interpreter agencies sponsor the first workshop in the series.  They'll be compensating their interpreters for attending the training. 

 

4. A Facebook post from earlier this week:

 

"Happy Finnish Sign Language Day!!
Best parts about today:
1. Viito's (student sign language organization) video posted on the HOMEPAGE of our university website
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F8w2oplA2U&feature=c4-overview&list=UUPVWHws...kQxNRXarET50mLpg)
2. My name was posted on the official list of substitute members of the management committee for the EU COST Action 'New Speaker/Signer' project
(http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/isch/Actions/IS1306?management)
3. Submitting my reflections on graduating from the BEST interpreter training program in the world (no hyperbole here!)
Coincidence that this all happened on the same day?!
I didn't plan a single one of them.
Love, love, LOVE living this dream.



 

5. Meeting a new colleague this week (she and I work on the same floor) and in the course of our conversation she said, "I spent some time in College Station, Texas, collaborating with a professor there.  I LOVE Texas.  The people there are so friendly!!"  Gig 'em AGGIES!!  So awesome.

Here we are celebrating "Ystävänpäivä" --"Friend Day"-- at our office morning social:

 

 

 

 

6. Lunch with a new friend and colleague (Karen Martin--a Fulbright scholar from Alaska learning more about the Finnish education system). 
LOVE that our paths have crossed.