Articulate

A royal wedding and a speak truth to power sermon focussed our attention on love this week. Bishop Michael Curry asked the wedding congregation (and the world) to consider the implications of businesses and governments acting with love. Not something soft and pretty but difficult and strong. Evidence at the Australian banking royal commission would certainly be different!

Closer to home this week I happened across Associate Professor Tammy Steeves and colleagues’ approach to kindness in science “an inclusive approach that fosters diversity, respect, well-being and openness, leading to better science outcomes”. Or more bluntly “everyone here is smart and kind – don’t distinguish yourself by being otherwise”.

I also spent 40 minutes in the school principal’s office. At this point other parents of year 8 boys will either be relieved that it wasn’t them or be smiling and nodding sympathetically. Parents of young men will reassure me that this too will pass. A group of us, including my son, had a very firm, but kind and clear, discussion about appropriate classroom behaviour.

The Beatles insisted all we need is love. But not without love’s harder edged sibling - Respect.