ScottWesterman

@scottwesterman.com

Dad, Grandpa, Nerd, Radio Guy, W9WSW

In the last weeks of dad’s life, I asked him about all he had witnessed and what he had learned, within the context of the then-current administration… lead by the same president we have now.

“We can't always decide what happens to us," he said. "We can aways decide how we will react to it. How you decide to engage in life's ups and downs will make all the difference.”

How will we decide to engage?

$Let's face it. This year we have endured more than our share of sadness. How do we make 2026 better? People who keep doing good things, despite every challenge, endure and thrive. Reread Viktor Frankl. The survivors survive because they have a purpose. That’s the key. Purpose is a diamond that reveals fresh facets as you turn it, refracting whatever light or darkness surrounds it into opportunity. Keep looking for the prismatic light it projects into whatever each day brings. Interpret it and do something to spread love with what you see. This is the extent of our powers. And it’s enough.$

Once upon a time, the Buddha giving a speech somewhere, and encountered a merciless heckler in the crowd. The heckler was relentless, spewing every possible form of negativity. The Buddha simply ignored him, continuing to speak his message to the people who were there to hear what he had to say. When it was all over, the heckler came up to the Buddha, really mad, up in his face shouting, “Why aren't you paying attention to me? Why won't you answer me? Why won't you debate me?” The Buddha said, “Let me ask you a question. If you buy someone a gift and you wrap that gift up and you bring the gift to that person. And they do not accept the gift. They walk away. Who does that gift now belong to? Who's the owner of the gift?”
The heckler frowned at the absurdity of the question and said, “Well, it's me, obviously.”
And the Buddha said, “Yes, it is it. Just as it is with all of your anger and your disruption and your rage. I do not accept it. Take it, keep it. It belongs to you.”

$We don’t have to agree on everything to care deeply about one another. That doesn’t mean sacrificing our values. It means honoring the relationship enough to make space for difference. Let’s face it. Social media has done more to fracture relationships and amplify division than any cultural event in our lifetime. And it’s not going away. Wisdom often appears in the rear-view-mirror. Over a lifetime of managing corporate and community political connections, I’ve learned that behind every strong opinion is a personal story. And when we’re willing to hear that story, without rushing to correct it, things can shift. We soften. We connect. That does not mean avoiding debate. It’s about learning how to disagree without being disagreeable. The people who’ve challenged me most have also helped me grow. They have stretched my empathy, expanded my world view, and reminded me that love has the capacity to be bigger than agreement. Friendship across the divide isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s choosing grace over judgment and connection over certainty. It’s finding out where someone else is hurting, and helping to alleviate their suffering… even when we disagree. And today, these skills might just be the most powerful things we can practice.$