Tidbits of Joy #45 - Independence

Dear AdNet Employees, Customers and Friends;

As we recently celebrated Freedom Day/Juneteenth, Gay Pride Month, and are approaching the observance of the 4th of July holiday, I find myself in reflection of what “independence” means. Typically, it is used as a reference for freedom from being ruled or governed. Woven into independence as I lived my life, was the freedom of choice for what I felt was best for my life. Once I left the family “nest” I made my own decisions and either benefitted or had consequences for those choices. Yet, they were my choices which were and remain priceless.

Over the past week with the swirling emotions regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I, too, have experienced anger, sadness, and a reinvigoration of my activism, who believes that people get to make their own choices. Because what we chose we must live with, good, bad or indifferent. As with my writing to you, today, some may join me in these feelings and some my hit delete. Again, your choice.

Somewhere within the rules, we must find the good in each other. We need to agree to disagree with grace. Today, in our weekly staff meeting, I felt gratitude that across my corporate team, we have differing views when it comes to the charged topics in our country right now BUT what we share is an acceptance and respect for our differences. Our common goal is to take care of each other and all the people we interact with to do our “AdNet Magic”. On Friday, I had a conversation with an employee who has a different view than myself. Our conversation was rich and spoken with a great deal of respect for each other. We listened and “saw” each other without a charged debate.

My commitment to AdNet’s workforce is to help provide resources for employees to have what they need to make choices. If you are living in a State that is or may not allow you to have what you need for your health, please reach out to me, directly. My network is long reaching and with a village, we can all have what we need, safely. And I will continue to work hard for the rights of others.

I wish for everyone a peaceful holiday weekend and ask that we all take the time to do something kind for another person who may not have the same level of independence that we share.