The Power of Being There
Simon Sinek tells a great story about how to help people in hard times.
It goes something like this.
A friend of his had a buddy who had just lost his dad.
Not knowing what to do or say, he left him a voicemail.
“Hey, I’m not sure what to do or say. But I’m here for you. And if it’s ok, I’m going to call you every day at 9:30 in the morning. You can answer if you’d like, but you can also ignore it if you’d like. Whatever you need in that moment, in that day, I’ll be available.”
And so, the friend did as he said.
And on the first day, he didn’t answer.
And on the second. No answer.
And a week went by. No answer.
Two weeks. Nadda.
And on the 20th day, his buddy answered.
And now?
They talk every day at 9:30am. Not only about his dad but about life and hardships and successes and failures.
And it’s stories like this that inspire me to be better. How can I be a friend like that? How can I be so selfless, so consistent, so unfocused on my own things that I take the time, day in and day out, to think of another?
Like many of you have for us. Like many of you still do for us.
If this journey has taught us anything, it’s how to love others in hard times. And we learned it from our family, from our friends, from our neighbors, from people who know us and people who don’t.
I saw a man I hardly know at a Tech basketball game recently — acquaintances at best.
We usually nod as if we know each other and continue walking, but this time, something was different.
I saw him at a distance and his eyes lit up. He forced his way through a crowd of people, came up to me, gave me a hug, and said:
“I pray for you and your family every morning as I walk around the lake.”
I barely say, “thank you.”
And he walks away.
I’m pretty sure he has never even met Erin.
The power of caring can change the world.
The power of taking the time to think of others.
The power of not knowing what to do and doing something anyways.
Thank you all for doing that for us.
We hope to return the favor someday.