Today is Friday. At this moment I am very late, once again, on my publisher’s letter. Kathy, my editor, handed me an 11 a.m. deadline that now has me in a panic. 

My habit of putting off writing this piece every single month is so ridiculous. I have a whole month to write something and, in truth, I love doing it once I get into it. But this habit of avoiding and pushing it to the end is something I need to change.

So, as I sit here trying to think of something inspiring, my quick solution is to write about gratitude since we all have so much to be grateful for.  That is what I was attempting to do while waiting for a Zoom meeting to start. Curiously, no one was on the call except for me. I thought the South Pacific team was simply late in arriving until I realized a typhoon was hitting the Philippines. Immediately I shift from wondering where they are to worrying how they are. I try to reach them from any avenue at my disposal—what’s app, e mail, text—but no one answers.  Then one of the team members, flashed on and off, and then connected. She shared with me the horror that was going on before the Internet failed on her. I quickly jumped on youtube and bam, an OMG moment. Instantly my everyday problems paled in the face of the human challenges that go on every day.  

It seems no matter what problems I may have, they are so small compared to the burden others may be experiencing. This morning has provided me another lesson in humility filled with an enormous, overwhelming dose of gratitude. 

With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher