So I just returned from my annual Las Vegas Trade Shows trip. Each year I leave on Memorial Day and spend about 8 days in Las Vegas attending a multitude of trade shows during "Jewelry Week". Yes it is very tiring and long, but the best part of the week is the fact that I get the chance to see so many people that I have known for so many years, all in one place. Many of them I am fortunate enough to call my friends.
This year was extra special. So many people came up to me and acknowledged my new book, Together: A Journey for Survival. I am so grateful for all the outpouring of support and accolades. It is actually quite overwhelming. So many of these people have known my dad, some for close to 50 years, and yet so many of them truly had no idea what he had gone through and where he had come from.
The lesson here is, how well do we really know those around us? Do we judge them or make conclusions about them without knowing all the facts? In my dad's case, he is always so joyful and always has this energetic smile that is so infectious. Everyone has such a great respect for him and admires his positive attitude. Who would have thought that this same man endured a nightmare that most of us could not even dream of?
How can we learn from him to make ourselves a better person? I think the next time we start sweating the small stuff we should pause and just think about what we are getting so angry or stressed about. Take a breath, walk away for a moment, and just reassess the situation and approach it again with a different attitude. Most things are not life and death, although they may feel like it at the time. All of us have bad days, even my dad, but remember, tomorrow is a new day, with new beginnings and new hope. Embrace the life we have been given and let's all try to be a little nicer to one another and treat each other with just a little more respect.
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