Hello Aspire Community,
Happy Spring! This season usually brings warmer weather and flowers begin to poke their heads out of the ground. This year, April brought an amazing celestial event as well. I had the good fortune to view the solar eclipse in its totality from the parking lot of the Aspire office in Berlin, Vermont. It certainly was an experience that went way beyond my hopeful expectations. So many thoughts were racing through my brain as I took it all in. I’d like to share some of those thoughts with you as they relate, in many ways, to our work at Aspire.
While we were setting ourselves up to view the event, many visitors were pulling into the lot to ask if they could stay and watch the eclipse. They traveled from places as close as Boston and Worcester, MA but also from as far away as Greece, Denmark, and Delaware. We all came together and became connected around one transformational event. We shared diverse stories of our lives and the places we were from, and we shared similar awe of the eclipse and the way it made us feel as the temperature dropped and the light faded.
Just as we were connected through the eclipse, Aspire’s mission brings us together and connects us all. We all come from different backgrounds and different places, and our unique diversity brings us together to serve. This diversity strengthens us and provides us with a unique opportunity to learn from each other. It allows us to see beyond ourselves and internalize the stories and experiences of our coworkers.
Presence and perspective are two of the elements that matter most when two celestial bodies connect with each other and create a picture of how we see them. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but the moon can block the sun entirely when viewed from a certain perspective. Presence and perspective are two elements that matter most when humans connect with each other as well. When we show up with goodwill and a commitment to each other, that intersection can create a transformational experience for both persons.
As I watched the eclipse, I was receiving the constant reminder that I – and we collectively – are not the center of our shared experiences, we are simply a part of it. The earth and the moon depend on each other in order to survive and, of course, all the planets and moons in our solar system depend on the sun for the energy that sustains them and sustains life. We also depend on each other in order to survive. Our lives orbit around each other’s and, through our presence, we give meaning to the interactions, intersections, and the connections that occur each and every day. Aspire is our solar system. Our mission is our sun around which we orbit. That same mission provides the gravity that keeps us together and operating as we spend our days trying to improve our lives, and helping to improve the lives of those we serve and the lives of each other.
When we see the sun or the moon, let’s remember that we are all part of one system – one whole – moving through space connected in our shared mission and vision. I thank you for your work and commitment to those we serve and I thank you for your presence.
Wishing you all the best,
Lou