Wednesday, August 17, 2011

pondering Cory Booker's parents

Still reviewing my notes from the Global Leadership Summit.  Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, NJ was definitely a favorite of mine. 

He said his family asked him, "Are you gonna grow fat and happy feasting on the banquet others (meaning his parents & grandparents) have prepared for you, or are you going to metabolize that into action for good?"

LOVE that!  So many of the influential speakers pointed back to their parents raising them with an attitude toward making a difference, creating a better world. That inspired me as a mother!

His parents told him, "You are the result of a grand conspiracy of LOVE. Now what will YOU do?"

He said, "Everyone is born an original but most die copies." (I think he was quoting someone but I didn't catch who)

"The world you see outside you will always be a reflection of what you have inside you."

"Let life be or make things happen."

"The Bible says we shine like stars in the universe... many of the stars we "see" have long since gone out, but their light and energy are still making their way to our sky."

"Are we evidencing our Truth?"

For me, the most compelling thing about Cory's talk was the power of the parent.  His parents planted in him deep seeds of love, faith, power, gratitude, and responsibility for the other. I'm challenged by that... and hopeful ... and frankly, proud.  He made me proud to be a Christian, proud to be an American, and yes (even though my husband told me not to put this in), proud to be a Democrat.  If more public servants from ANY political affiliation shared the core values he expressed to us at the GLS, our country and our world would look very different than it does today.

I'm praying for Cory Booker to stay the course and for more like him to rise up and lead.

1 comment:

Christy Fritz said...

he's cool. he was my "waiting for superman" favorite. :)