I got to spend two weeks with my buddy Lucy earlier this month while my boy was away at "camp" (training). It was fun to see how much she has grown and matured since she was a little, tiny puppy a year and a half ago.
Currently, I am stuck in the middle of an administrative cyclone. Of course, I cannot really discuss any of the specifics but I can talk about how I have grown through it.
Humility is a noun defined by the interwebs as "a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness". While I have believed that I am one part of a team, this belief has become almost like my own soapbox. When I catch myself or a teammate (but mainly myself) starting to talk about a topic in a less than flattering manner, I audibly insert the word "thumper". In the movie Bambi, Thumper the rabbit shares a lesson learned with Bambi of "if you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all". I believe in constructive criticism, negativity solves nothing. Team, humility, and Thumper. My new language, frustrating to be learning, but doing good things for me.
Even one life is too many to lose.
While we should do this daily, I encourage you on the 22nd of every month to call and check your battle buddy. It takes just a moment. Military or not, we deserve to see each other tomorrow.
#twloha
Crisis Text Line 741-741
- a safe place to talk via text with a counselor when you can't or are afraid to use your voice
