Today we ask you to celebrate works of art that are created with love.

For that is at the heart of an “awards show.”  Beyond all that is false about these events, beneath the shiny and unreal surfaces, it is about celebrating human beings who create work with great love and commitment.  Often they must do so in the face of tremendous opposition — for generally speaking, creating work with great love and commitment is not necessarily the path of easy profit.  Creating work with great love and commitment can be profitable; but it is not easy.

So it is good, when watching an awards event, to connect with the true heart of the occasion.  We gather to celebrate humans who are creating meaningful work.  The awards system itself may be imperfect, messy, unfair and really rather silly.  But the spirit behind it is good.

It is like giving a gold star to a child who brings you a drawing he created with love; or who went out of his way to help a classmate or sibling do something.  It is good to give gold stars to someone who goes out of his way to do something meaningful.

There is, of course, nothing special about famous people.  What makes an awards event meaningful is that you are watching human beings, in all their frailty, no different from you.  Neither put them on a pedestal, nor look down on them in contempt.  They are no different from you.  They are simply dressed up for the evening.

Celebrate anyone who does good, meaningful work.  And as you do, ask yourself, “What have I done that deserves celebration?”  Be generous in your answer!

All of you do things that deserve awards, truly.  Little acts of kindness in your daily lives, in situations that are far from easy.  All of you create works of art.  Any parent who raises a child with love and care is creating a work of art.  Anyone who does work with a loving heart — who values meaning and a job well done over easy profit — is creating a work of art.  Celebrate yourselves, and celebrate others, engaged in such efforts.

Celebrate all humans who create with love.