Resources

My 65th birthday isn’t the only reason I’m thinking about end of life. I’m hearing stories of death and dying from many people: Family, friends, friends of family, and families of friends. We also mark the passing of a generation that lived with the Holocaust, WWII, and the birth of TV and rock and roll. We experience the ultimate outcomes of the opioid industry, big oil, and the gun lobby, either in person or through the media. It would seem that death is all around us.

Today you need a planning process that is agile and responsive. It has to account for the challenges of complexity and uncertainty you and your organization face.

When my younger daughter was about 8 or 9, I remember watching her play with her friends in the park across the street. Her whole focus was on getting everyone involved in whatever game the group was playing, pointing out where they could get into the action, assigning roles, encouraging those who were more shy, and backing up those who were less confident.

What can we say to future generations about the patterns of generativity, equity, and inclusion we seek today? How would we speak with them about who we are together? How will we help them understand the power of the work we recognize as we stand in the world at the end of 2018? Recently I received this powerful essay from one of our HSD Professional Associates. She wrote it to share with colleagues in an organization-wide equity and diversity event, and then was generous enough to share it with us. I asked permission and she has, again, graciously granted permission for me to share it here, in its entirety. With deep gratitude to her, I offer this for your reading. –Royce Holladay

"Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day." - E.B. White