Similar to the broadcast of the Winter Olympics in February earlier this year, life ground to a halt for the last 10 days as our family’s focus centered on watching the astronauts’ journey to circle the moon. The experience of four people leaving the Earth, living together in a gravity-free, 330-square-foot space, and partnering with Mission Control was an amazing example of choice, curiosity, and courage. It’s easy to see how these We are Resilient™ mindsets were at work in accomplishing a ground-breaking trip! And for those of us remaining earthbound, it has been a captivating lesson in what is possible when we work together.
The astronauts coined the phrase “Moon Joy” as they orbited the moon. It captured their “intense happiness and excitement” at seeing the moon up close. There was a certain “Earth Joy” as well. They said that when looking back at Earth, they saw one humanity…a mirror of their own close collaboration.
One of the astronauts described seeing the people on Earth, like themselves, as a crew. They said “a crew is a group that is 100% in it no matter what…that is willing to sacrifice for one another, but gives grace, that holds accountable. A crew has the same cares and the same needs. A crew is inescapably, beautifully, and dutifully linked.”
The coverage of an event like this brings us along on the journey. We connect with the astronaut’s courage to travel 250,000 miles away from Earth, to re-enter the atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, and to trust that all of the work that has gone into the trip will keep them safe and sound throughout. We ask questions and let ourselves wonder about space exploration. We are inspired by the astronauts’ choice to serve humanity.
We bring these skills “back home” with us every time we choose to willingly help out, when we’re curious about how someone else is thinking and feeling, and when we courageously re-commit to our shared purpose. Let’s bring this most recent experience of the larger universe to our daily lives with our families, at work, and in service to the world.
I encourage you to watch some special moments with the astronauts:
- The naming of a feature on the moon after the late wife of one of the astronauts
- See “Moon Joy” in practice
- The post-flight interview
- NASA’s definition of “Moon Joy”
With Resilience,
Annie Millar
Annie Millar is a lifelong educator, an emerging social worker, and formerly served as Dovetail Learning’s Board Chair. In every role, she is committed to helping build a world that works for everyone, especially for those in vulnerable communities. While she did not dream of becoming an astronaut as a child, she may be revisiting the idea now.