HELLO!

At coffee shops, I hear friends ask friends, “So what are you watching?” I expect you and your friends have asked each other that question. Kim and I are watching a series called “Hacks”, which feels like a comedy based on a character who reminds us of Joan Rivers. Lucian and I are watching a Canadian series called Shoresy. Shoresy is the name of the main character. It’s about Canadians who play amateur hockey, in the same way Ted Lasso is about an English football club. The sport is second to the brilliant banter and camaraderie between characters. It’s crude, it’s vulgar, and it has more heart than any show like this deserves to have. It’s not for everybody, but I’ve never encountered a show that can make me belly laugh as much as it can move me with its touching tenderness.

*Note, I am NOT recommending you watch either Hacks or Shoresy as both contain language and subject matter not suited for all audiences.

In one episode, Shoresy is trying to figure out what to do with his life after retiring from playing hockey due to too many concussions. He sits with the owner of the hockey club, Natalie, who shares her own journey with acceptance and mental health after her mom passed away: “After my mom died, I got a shrink. I gave my mom a lot of love. And my therapist said, ‘now that she’s gone, you need to find a place to put that love.’” Nat decided to put her love into managing the hockey club, helping the local community, and investing in her players. She shares this story with Shoresy, who feels rudderless after losing his identity. Nat tells Shoresy, “If you don’t know where to go, go where you’re needed”.

As Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl explains in his best-selling book, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, finding ways to help others can provide much needed meaning in our lives, especially if we have had our identity stolen or life has changed. Where are you putting your love? We all have love to give, and our identities can be taken from us or our lives can change in an instant. If you’re struggling to find a place to put your love, you’re not alone. It can help to remind ourselves, “If you don’t know where to go, go where you’re needed”. If you’ve found meaning by already going where you’re needed, thanks for doing what you do.

I know there have been times in my life when I have been at a crossroads, undecided, confused. In those moments these words offer me some guidance. I hope they do the same for you. Peace, Kevin