I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.
Today’s tip is to thank someone you’re grateful to and tell them why.
One of the things I’ve seen recently is a thank you series from Grant, letting people know how he appreciates them in his life. I like that, and he’s made some nice choices. All of those people have impacted my life as well.
While I have many people, I’m choosing one for this post. Erin Stellato is someone I’ve known a long time. I don’t know exactly when we met, but I have many memories:
- Being a gracious host at a Cleveland SQL Saturday and hanging out with her and her daughter by the slide in the building.
- Sitting in the lobby of the Seattle convention center chatting about something SQL Server.
- Doing yoga together in a class before some event
- Skiing with her family and grandfather in Colorado
- running through the streets of Bellevue in the morning before the MVP Summit
Lately, however, I’m really grateful for some counsel from her on diversity and harassment issues. These are not pervasive, but they are present in the SQL Community (and others). My perspective and view is limited, and I have asked others for help in finding a way forward to prevent future incidents. Erin has been great about listening and give me things to think about.
I’m really grateful for her help on a very difficult topic.
I’m also grateful for her friendship and hope we find time for some future yoga, skiing, or some other fun activity.