Gratitude

I don't have words to express my gratitude to my mom, my sister Nancy, Christy, Eric, and his brother Bob for showing up to support me tonight at my graduation.  I think we all felt the power, but I felt the love.  Special props to Nancy and my mom for standing up to say to the those present how proud they were of me.  It touched me deeply and I'll never forget it.

My mom got a bit choked up and she said several times that she wanted to say so much more but just couldn't get past the emotion.  What I told her was that she was speaking to a group of men who have learned that so much more can be said without words.  Her emotion spoke volumes and these men are now avid readers of that kind of writing.

I have special props for my brothers who were there tonight.  Some of you know I've been a bit concerned about Nathan but he turned up alive and well and I was grateful that all was well with him.  I got to meet Pierre's wife and one of his boys and he is a special kid.  He hadn't known me for 10 seconds and he was already hugging me.  That's the kind of sensitivity the world needs and Pierre is lucky that his son is so comfortable with his emotions.  He warmed up to everyone immediately and the feeling was mutual.

During my moments to reflect to everyone what it is I got out of my weekend, I couldn't possibly choose just one moment.  If you've been following my blog, you know there have been so many lessons from that weekend for me.  I've never experienced such reliable, caring support of so many people.  It is such a good feeling to have a goal, have a focus, have a mission. I will never let that go.

In a week and a half, I have another weekend of training to do which is a little less intense, and more focused.  At least two of my brothers are going and I suspect more will sign up in the coming days.

One last note, if any of you are uncomfortable with the way I use the word "brothers" let me assure you that no better word describes the trust and bond than that one.  Friend doesn't cut it.  I use it because it descriptively denotes the relationship, not because it's a cult of any kind.  Those who were there tonight and witnessed the impact that this has had on these men would all testify that the energy was undeniable.  Watching parents stand up and say how proud they are of their sons (who are sometimes in their 40's and 50's) for finally becoming the men they always hoped they would be was magical and it hammered home the entire process for me.  It let me see the impact these men's change is already having on their world and the world around them.  Maybe that's where the saying for Mankind Project comes from:  

"Changing the world, one man at a time."

This man has changed and the world around him is just beginning to notice.  Stay tuned.