Dear God…

Good morning, God,

It was another early morning, but it was worth it. Mother Nature whipped up a gorgeous sunrise with robin-egg blue and fuchsia brushstrokes that rested just above the horizon. 

Today is Mom’s birthday; she has always loved robin-egg blue. How is she doing up there? I think you know that we didn’t speak or see each other for close to three years before seeing her in hospice and letting her know that she could let go. 

An hour later, she did. I miss her. I hope she’s proud of my girls.

Excuse me, I need to grab a tissue – just a sec. 

Okay, I’m back. Since I’m up, um, can we talk again?

I meant to ask you this last month, but since it’s movie award season, it feels more fitting now: Who played you best—George Burns in Oh, God! or Morgan Freeman inBruce Almighty? I prefer Morgan Freeman, but with all the pushback on diversity, I’m not sure how it would fly today, which is sad. What are your thoughts?

Here’s another one for you. The other day, I was driving back from the market thinking about dinner, and out of nowhere, I started thinking about Asia—no, not the continent, but the band. Crazy right? I started thinking they were pretty underrated, and then their song “Only Time Will Tell” popped into my head, and I haven’t heard that one in years.

That got me thinking, “Well, that’s an interesting title, given all that is happening today.” But then I thought, “I’m antsy, and so are others, so it would be helpful to know how we get through this moment now instead of waiting for time to tell us.”

So, here’s my question: Is this random thought-bubble thing we do a feature or flaw in our design? Is it built into other creatures? At times, it’s unsettling, and other times, it’s hilarious—curious minds want to know.

Okay, enough dancing around. Here’s what I really want to ask. It’s about us—as in us humans down here.

I’m worried. What’s going on with us? What don’t I see? 

You’re supposed to be omnipotent; can you do something? We might not be asking for it, but we need help. Before you answer, let me share a little more. 

Recently, my wife’s little sister from college shared a post telling people she was leaving all of Meta’s platforms (bye-bye Zuck) and what she believed in. She served in our military, worked for USAID, and today is a chaplain. It inspired me to write down things I believe in, too.

Like her, I believe that we were made good. Thank you! We should practice being good every day and stop worshipping stuff over things that nurture us, like nature, family, friends, and experiences.

I think you know this about me, but just in case—I believe in kindness, resilience, and peace. War doesn’t solve anything, and someone’s right to own a gun should never threaten another’s right to live in peace.

Mother Earth is hurting—I know you see it. We should do everything we can to protect her and the people and creatures who share this planet – it’s the most pro-life thing we can do. 

We have two original sins: How we treated 1st Nation People and slavery. Until we acknowledge and accept these truths, we can’t heal, and the Founding Fathers weren’t right about everything—nobody is. We can honor our past and evolve beyond a group of elite men who had limited beliefs about any non-male, non-white, and non-land-owning person.

Diversity is a good thing, right? If not, why did You, Mother Earth, and the Universe (aka My M.U.G.) create so much of it and put it all in one ecosystem? I was taught that real men walk humbly, open their aperture, support those who need support, and protect those threatened by bullies.

These are just some of the things I believe in – you might know the rest.​

You also know—at least, I hope you do—a lot is going on. It’s bananas – did you hear about the Representative who proposed that we change the name of Greenland to Red, White, and Blueland? Like, I don’t even know where to begin with this one – it hurts my head.

I know this: You learn a lot about yourself and others during a crisis, and you can feel vulnerable and naked. Each morning, we must decide whether we have the courage and resilience to get out of bed, get dressed, and do something that creates a positive ripple in the world—this is a way forward.

So, if you’re not too busy, sometimes folks just need a little reminder that they have the strength to keep pedaling. We could all use a helpful hand on our backs or a sign or something, whether or not they believe you exist—and as you know, I’ve had my doubts. 

Ultimately, considering my one-in-a-bazillon chance of being here, I know the three of you created something special. I just want to make sure we honor your work.

If you see my Mom today, please wish her a happy birthday and let her know that I love her and am trying to be a good human. I hope she is proud of me, too.

Thanks for listening – May peace be with us, 

Michael

Updates and Announcements

Over the last several months, we’ve been working on a new update for our Pause Breathe Reflect app. For our pre-beta testers, it has helped them reduce their phone screen time and pickups by 30 to 40% and find time for things that bring them more joy. I’m biased, but it’s amazing.

Our next step is to do a limited beta test. Please let me know through this link if you want to join our beta by tomorrow. Please note that I can’t accept everyone who expresses an interest.

Finally, this week’s Kintsugi Podcast is out. If you’ve had one of those weeks, it’s worth the 10-minute listen. I hope you’ll share it with another as well.

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For previous, Dear God Posts, you can click here and here. 

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