We are the World.

Like many of you, I cannot get enough of the footage from the Artemis II crew. From their launch into space and actual space footage to their splash landing into the ocean and interviews since their return.

They worked relentlessly to experience the vastness of the universe in ways we can only imagine and comprehend through their accounts. But in every account, they seem desperate to show us that we are one, connected joy train of a crew on this planet we call earth.

Last week, I was struck by these beautiful words written in an email from a music teacher in my school district, “I have been inspired recently by the Netflix documentary about how the song, ‘We Are theWorld’ came about.  A group of some of the most famous musicians of the time came together with a shared purpose and a willingness to set aside individual recognition for something greater. They used the power of music to change lives. I think that same spirit can be a powerful reminder for building a unified and student-centered music program.”

Honestly, you could swap out those last few words for just about anything. Don’t you think?

My husband and I seem to be getting a reputation for finding, feeding, and rescuing stray animals. In the last 18 months, we’ve saved three cats. One currently lives with us, one has joined our extended family, and the other was adopted by a caring stranger who found the kitty at the cat rescue who graciously took in Rosalina.

My husband, Mario, asked me to consider a blog post about how all living creatures can speak the same language if we are willing to notice, care, and adapt. With wayward cats, you can slowly earn their trust with food, slow movements, offering your smell, and with slow “blinks” that are signs of safety in the cat world. It’s not our native language, but it’s a language we’ve learned. Every cat deserves a forever home filled with love, safety, food security. As I type this, Dennis came over the licked a cut on my hand. Now, I will need to wash it, haha. But the kissing of wounds transcends all people and species. Even dog at my gym came over as I struggled through a floor exercise, putting his paw over my hand as if to say, “I’ve got you” – let’s hold hands. I think Mario is right. At the end of the day, we can speak one language if we are willing to try and to meet each other halfway.

We all deserve what I’m describing here. An opportunity to reach our fullest potential with full bellies, love, community, comfort, and safety.

When the Artemis II crew returned, they came back with an appreciation for this little planet we call earth. For our pets, our homes and our families serve as their entire universe.

Our homes, neighborhoods, and our schools serve as the center of every child’s universe, and we get to make that universe as good as it can be, so they can go out there and create an even better world for all of us, seeing what can be and what every living creature deserves. George Couros wrote about this yesterday, “Instead of preparing our students for the ‘real world,’ how do we help our students make the real world better?” What a tall order and yet what a profound honor. May we never forget what a powerful privilege it is to faithfully and dutifully serve our communities to the best of our abilities with joy and hope for the future.

We are the world.

We are the children.

We are the ones who make a better world so let’s start giving.

In The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Longitudinal Study of Happiness, Waldinger and Schulz explain that one factor above all others demonstrates enduring importance for a happy and healthy life…

Good relationships.

So, please don’t underestimate the significance of being a great friend, teammate, parent, pet owner, neighbor. <Insert your thing here.>

Don’t underestimate the value you bring to your crew and the broader crew that is all of us here on our planet as we orbit the sun.

Understanding how small we all are is powerful. Understanding how much it matters that we show up for each other is powerful too.

So wherever you are this week, be all there.