Inspire the Future

The idea for “Inspire the Future” took root early in Spring 2020 as we gathered on Zoom/Teams/Skype calls and remarked about the overwhelming number of e-mail subject lines and social media posts that were based on negative, fear-based messages. We were desperately seeking stories of hope and inspiration to look beyond the moment and imagine better days ahead.

One day, a colleague shared an inspiring story of her little nephew. Just seven years old, Abe had written a letter to his best friend, Eli. Consisting of 21 words and written in pencil on a sheet of paper torn from a spiral-bound notebook, he implored Eli to “stay safe and wash his hands,” in hopes that they could play soon.

But it didn’t stop there.

Not only did Eli reply telling Abe that he missed him, but he also included a drawing of a new “rocit” he’d built with 837 Lego® “pecis.”

The story about the innocent, heartfelt exchange between two young boys who found a way to communicate in a simple way, with words and pictures, created an emotional response that inspired our team. And so it began.