Hi blog! It has been a little while since I lengthened you with a few thoughts.
I hope you have been fine in my absence. A few interesting things have transpired that make the heart fly.
Last week, Alan Bernstein visited our community as the 2017 Friesen Prize Laureate. Among the activities Alan participated in, there were a couple of trainee roundtable sessions. I organized the one at St Paul’s Hospital site. It included 14 trainees from all over the city, from a range of scientific disciplines, who were of a full spectrum of ethnic groups, states of health and genders. They gave glorious short presentations and provide great discussion with Alan in each instance. It is the kind of session that makes one know that the world will go forward just fine when these young people have a chance to fully develop and lead.
The science trainees each have their own story – how they became a science trainee, what their life-journey has been, what their deepest aspirations, inspirations and anxieties might be. For sure they have learned, they have grown, they are on a bountiful path to excellence, one that will benefit them, science as a whole, and our society.
These trainees are not really different than two other young stars who were busily performing this week and weekend. Brooke Henderson was plying the brisk winds of the Bahamas at the first LPGA event of the year. She pressed forward well, and was leading or tied fhe lead well into the final round. A stumble here and there kept her from the winner’s circle, but not from another top 10 finish. While she will not be happy with that finish, Brooke has so much to be thankful for and happy about. She is a solid Canadian kid, just a kid because she is only 20 years of age. She has a great family, mother, father, sister! There is much love in that family. There is much support. Brooke has developed her natural talent on that backdrop. She has built a runway to excellence in golf and life based on the supports around her and her own growing depth of character. She will do well this year. The year will be bountiful, and she will magnetize many young children to the game of golf, and especially to being grateful and decent.
Then there is Brock! This weekend, Brock Boeser came to the NHL All Star festivities as a rookie….another 20 year-old, a rookie in the best ice hockey league in the world. He came with his family from a little town in Minnesota to the glitz and glamour of Tampa Bay and Amalie Arena. He then proceeded to outshine many other stars. He dramatically won the shooting accuracy competition, indeed breaking one of the electronic targets with his heavy wrist shot. This win alone just blew observers away. So much so, that stars like Sidney Crosby made a specific point of going over right away to introduce himself to Brock and have a chat. This happened over and over throughout the two day event. When the semi-final games were played on Sunday, Brock continue to shine. He scored the winning goal on a beautiful shot to the right upper corner of the net, and then provided a goal and assist in the final game. He did all of his with incredible humility and quiet presence. When the voting for the MVP of the event was finished, the winner was Brock Boeser by a large margin. He humbly skated up to receive this recognition. Apart from the financial bonuses and the car Brock receives because of these achievements, it is most exciting and fulfilling to know that his young man from rural Minnesota, who has lost several family members and friends in recent years can achieve what he does without fanfare and hubris. He is bountiful, but also beautiful.
May we always reach for the beauty of trainees, of developing scientists and athletes, in a way that emphasizes the paramount importance of “goodness”, of humanity.