all for a good cause

Yesterday, we participated in our first Puzzle Palooza to support my favorite nonprofit, Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support, Inc.

I am not a puzzle person. Now, my three team members are very much puzzle people. I was even tempted to bring my book. That’s how much I am not a puzzle person.

Except, as it turns out, in-person teamwork plus healthy competition, all for a good cause because I love raising money for Share, made me a bit of a puzzling, competitive, and loud beast. I mean, I was sweating; I was so amped up.

And it reminded me how powerful our in-person time is. Simply virtual will never ever fully replace it.

It reminded me of how powerful healthy competition, not using shame or pitting people against each other, can be. Although, we were definitely the most targeted and sabotaged table (puzzling using tweezers or garden gloves is not easy).

Except it was all for a common mission: to raise as much money as possible for Share. Because when we remember that neither of us is the enemy and that we have our mission in common, we turn towards our teams and work together harder, smarter, and faster to be the best and win.

In our case, we came up short in fourth place, and in a not very courageous way, I am going to blame all the sabotages.

The real winner anyways is Share.