PyLadies Values People

A PyLadies Organizer

August 25, 2014 | Tag: » community, outreach

A caring community matters to us

“Thank you.” “I’m so sorry.” “Please forgive me.”

These three simple phrases offer so much compassion and humanity when shared genuinely. As a child, I don’t know that I learned how important those phrases are. Unlike some of you, I didn’t hear those words often enough.

I know that I am human. I have my successes and also my failures. It hurts me when I think that I may have hurt some one else. My optimistic hope for the world is that people will value and cherish other people. With no strings attached, a person is valuable simply because they are a person.

Now, those three simple yet powerful phrases are often used in my own adult life:

“Thank you for…” …helping me learn how to code this feature. …volunteering your time and talents. …understanding that we are individuals with varying needs. …being humane and compassionate to others and yourself.

“I’m so sorry…” …that I arrived late to our meeting. …that I am stressed and let my stress result in unwelcoming and unprofessional behavior. …that I forgot to pause, check my privilege, and listen to you.

“Please forgive me…” …for hurting you in any way. …for letting my stress spill over in to our conversation. …for failing to understand your perspective. …for speaking more than listening.

Here are a few more words I have found helpful as an adult: * Participate. * Prioritize people. * Proactively practice compassion and self-care.

Sometimes people act in ways that compel us to take a moment to pause and think about that person and their perspective. One humble PyLady’s plan: When in doubt, please practice People > Python.