A Reason to Believe by Governor Deval Patrick

Author:Governor Deval Patrick
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307720764
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-04-12T10:00:00+00:00

Over the years, we’ve opened our doors to these and many other people who were hungry for company, attention, and affection. Growing up, I know that I too longed for these things; to give and to receive. I saw what happened with my own parents. While they were loving in their own way, their inability to express it to Rhonda and me not only withheld something from us but hurt them. Giving love freely is enriching for both the giver and the recipient. As a child, the love I did receive strengthened my foundations. As an adult, it makes me feel like I have value in the world.

When we have dinner parties, I like to go around the table and say something about each guest and our special connection to him or her. In addition to being a good icebreaker, it gives me a chance to testify publicly about the value we place on our friendships. Often, others at the table will follow my lead and describe how the other guests have contributed to their lives. It is like a snowball of goodwill. I think it catches everyone by surprise when we say aloud that we appreciate their presence in our lives.

Ironically, however essential it may be for our own souls to show that love, we often don’t do so until it’s too late. That came to mind when I visited an old friend, Morgan Mead, whom I had first met at Squam Lake as a teenager through Will Speers. I happened to catch Morgan after he had recently attended several family funerals. “You know,” he said wistfully, “I’m giving all of these eulogies, and I’m getting pretty good at them.”

“Morgan,” I said, “that’s fine, but you have to learn to tell people you love them before they die.”

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