@HomewithDean - Homily 9/5 - a podcast by KFI AM 640 (KFI-AM)

Don’t know if I’ve mentioned this on the air but Tina and I are traveling to Scotland in April. We’ve been to the the UK several times but never to Scotland and have always wanted to go. Tina genetic heritage is Italian—clearly very Italian—but mine is largely Celtic. So, I’m very excited.

When you trace back family histories, especially ones that emanate from the UK, you’re bound to run into a few family crests. You know, those heraldic symbols with images and mottos that attempt to describe either what a family is known for or virtues they aspire to, or both. And it got me thinking, if I created a family crest what would it be? Specifically, what words or ideals would form our family motto?

I don’t believe you can truly distill a family’s entire existence down to an image, but it’s an interesting exercise in self-discovery so I took the bait this week and came up with four words all arranged around a compass rose.

Why a compass rose and not a shield? Well, I like to think of the Sharps as a happy band of artists and explorers, not warriors. And also, I love compasses. I love the magic of a device whose secret power is to align itself with the hidden forces of the earth and in doing so reveals where you’re headed. And the really important bit for me about a compass is how it tells you where you’re going without presuming to tell you where you “should” be going. A compass reveals truth without judgement.

As for the four virtues of our family motto, I chose Honesty, Curiosity, Kindness and Stillness.

According to Thomas Jefferson, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Certainly one of the most important things I’ve ever realized is that anything truly meaningful in this life must learn to survive honesty. Honesty is sensitivity to one’s own inner compass and therefore also the starting point of the journey of self-knowledge.

Curiosity, they say, is the mother of all invention. It also killed the cat. But mostly curiosity is the foundation of learning and of every great adventure. If you are not busy exploring what you don’t know then you’re trapped in the tiny circle of what you do know. And knowing just how much you don’t know is also where humility comes from.

Kindness … kindness is what happens when you’re keenly aware how much help you’ve needed to get where you are. Yes, we are each individuals, but no one is self-made. We are all a part of something larger. We are all a blend of me and we. We find a way to show others kindness along their journey because we need others’ help along our journey and—like it or not—every human we’ve ever met is part of our kind.

Finally, Stillness. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote, “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” The simple practice of stillness, however one might go about it, is the first step toward honesty. In order to stop running from yourself you have to stop running. Stillness is not easy to achieve in this world, but once you find it you realize it is the only antidote to a world full of endless stories and, more importantly, the antidote to the anxiety those stories create. Stillness is a practice but ultimately stillness is something I seek to carry at the core of me even when—no, especially when—I’m surrounded by noise and chaos.

So there you have it. My little attempt at a family crest. You know what? It was a very revealing challenge. If you think you might want to give one a try I highly recommend it. Not to create an interesting piece of art, but because you just might discover enough about yourself to build yourself a beautiful life.

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