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While visiting Trump's White House, this NFL player posted a powerful letter to Obama.

Every year, the winning NFL Super Bowl team gets to visit the White House and meet the president. It's supposed to be a great honor.

The champion New England Patriots got their tour on April 19, 2017 — only this year, there were some notable absences from some of the team's big-name players.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Some wouldn't say why they chose to pass on the invite — to be fair, many longtime Patriots players have visited the White House before — while others were ... less subtle in their reasoning.

Speaking to CNN, Patriots player Alan Branch said he skipped the trip because of the "disgusting" way that Donald Trump talks about women. "I have no interest in going and shaking his hand," Branch explained. "I've gotta [be able to] go back home and look my daughters in the eye."

Jacoby Brissett, a young third-string quarterback, had his own reason for accepting the White House invite.

Brissett was humbled by the opportunity to visit Washington and sat down before the visit to write a letter to the president.

Just not this president.

While at the White House, Brissett paused for a pic near a photo of former President Barack Obama that he posted to Instagram along with a moving open letter.

"I want to thank you for what you have done for this country — outside of politics," Brissett begins his letter.

"Honestly, I don't know enough about politics to judge what was good or bad, but I want you to know that when you said 'Yes We Can' — a young man dreaming a dream from rough circumstances in Florida heard you."

Dear Big O, I am writing you this letter to say thank you. I want to thank you for what you have done for this country – outside of politics. Honestly, I don't know enough about politics to judge what was good or bad, but I want you to know that when you said "Yes We Can" – a young man dreaming a dream from rough circumstances in Florida heard you. When you were elected President for the first time I was 16 and I watched you make the never-imaginable, attainable and I heard your cry to inspire hope. I used those words as motivation and saw your achievement as an opportunity and permission to work make my dreams come true too. You were the President of the United States – the highest office in the world. You broke a barrier and a stereotype proving not every minority has to use a ball to make a way. You've inspired a lifetime of dreamers young and old. Now, kids from my community – and my future children – will know that there is no dream too big – even they could be the President of the United States. As I prepare for the honor of visiting the White House, I will be there as a Super Bowl Champion – and I will think of you, mainly because the White House is a different, and better place because you lived there. I was a kid that came from nothing and I am living out one of the greatest dreams of my life. I am just grateful for the opportunity to walk on the same steps as you did, and to have a platform to inspire and I hope to leave my mark on history the way you did. One day, when I meet you, I will shake your hand and say thank you to your face but until then this kid is going to continue to dream until I can’t anymore. Thank you for blazing a trail, but for more than that, for leaving a paved road behind you for others to climb on. The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your DREAMS - Oprah Yes we can!! DREAM BIG!! Thank you, Jacoby Brissett P.S Holla at me to help you with your broke jump shot

A post shared by Jacoby Brissett (@jbrissett7) on

You can read the full text of Brissett's letter below:

"Dear Big O, I am writing you this letter to say thank you.

I want to thank you for what you have done for this country – outside of politics. Honestly, I don't know enough about politics to judge what was good or bad, but I want you to know that when you said "Yes We Can" — a young man dreaming a dream from rough circumstances in Florida heard you.

When you were elected President for the first time I was 16 and I watched you make the never-imaginable, attainable and I heard your cry to inspire hope. I used those words as motivation and saw your achievement as an opportunity and permission to work make my dreams come true too. You were the President of the United States — the highest office in the world. You broke a barrier and a stereotype proving not every minority has to use a ball to make a way. You've inspired a lifetime of dreamers young and old. Now, kids from my community — and my future children — will know that there is no dream too big — even they could be the President of the United States.

As I prepare for the honor of visiting the White House, I will be there as a Super Bowl Champion – and I will think of you, mainly because the White House is a different, and better place because you lived there. I was a kid that came from nothing and I am living out one of the greatest dreams of my life. I am just grateful for the opportunity to walk on the same steps as you did, and to have a platform to inspire and I hope to leave my mark on history the way you did.

One day, when I meet you, I will shake your hand and say thank you to your face but until then this kid is going to continue to dream until I can’t anymore. Thank you for blazing a trail, but for more than that, for leaving a paved road behind you for others to climb on. The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your DREAMS — Oprah Yes we can!! DREAM BIG!! Thank you, Jacoby Brissett P.S Holla at me to help you with your broke jump shot"







The letter went viral on social media because it's a message we all desperately need to hear.

There's no "throwing shade" at the sitting president. No doom and gloom. Just pure appreciation for how far we've come and for the hard work and relentless spirit of a man who has inspired so many.

It's a testament to the power of representation, to the impact of seeing yourself reflected in your leaders and what that can motivate new generations to accomplish.

"As I prepare for the honor of visiting the White House," Brisset's letter concludes, "I will be there as a Super Bowl Champion — and I will think of you, mainly because the White House is a different and better place because you lived there."

Sometimes it feels like we're going backward as a country, and it can be easy to forget the strides we made when we elected our first black president. But Jacoby Brissett hasn't forgotten, and neither have millions of other young people like him.

Community

Facebook group brings people together IRL to make meaningful friendships

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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In 125 years, millions of people have looked at this painting. No one really saw it until recently.

Van Gogh saw something it took scientists another 100 years to see.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

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Van Gough never got to enjoy his own historic success as an artist (even though we've been able to imagine what that moment might have looked like). But it turns out that those of us who have appreciated his work have been missing out on some critical details for more than 100 years.

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via Christine Kesteloo/TikTok and Cagri Gurbuz/Pexels

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“I live on a cruise ship for half the year with my husband, and it's often as glamorous as it sounds,” she told Insider. “After all, I don't cook, clean, make my bed, do laundry or pay for food.“

Living an all-inclusive lifestyle seems like paradise, but it has some drawbacks. Having access to all-you-can-eat food all day long can really have an effect on one’s waistline. Kesteloo admits that living on a cruise ship takes a lot of self-discipline because the temptation is always right under her nose.

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Women do better when they have a group of strong female friends, study finds

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Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

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A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that women who have a strong circle of friends are more likely to get executive positions with higher pay. "Women who were in the top quartile of centrality and had a female-dominated inner circle of 1-3 women landed leadership positions that were 2.5 times higher in authority and pay than those of their female peers lacking this combination," Brian Uzzi writes in the Harvard Business Review.

Part of the reason why women with strong women backing them up are more successful is because they can turn to their tribe for advice. Women have to face different challenges than men, such as unconscious bias, and being able to turn to other women who have had similar experiences can help you navigate a difficult situation. It's like having a road map for your goals.

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They also have enough experience to take some pride in decisions that, in hindsight, were the right moves.

The good news is that at 40 there is still plenty of time to learn from our successes and failures to set ourselves up for a great second half of life. These lessons are also valuable to the Gen Zers coming up who can avoid the pitfalls of the older generation.

A Reddit user who has since deleted their profile asked millennials nearing 40 “what were your biggest mistakes at this point in life?” and they received more than 2,200 responses. The biggest regrets these millennials have are being flippant about their health and not saving enough money when they were younger.

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via Rickey123/Pixabay

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Over the past few years, women named Karen have taken a lot of heat in the media. The term "Karen" has been used to describe a specific type of entitled, privileged and often middle-aged white woman. Typically, "Karen” is depicted as demanding, self-important and constantly seeking to escalate minor inconveniences to authority figures, like demanding to "speak to the manager."

Identifying the folks who create unnecessary drama in our world is important. But calling them a “Karen” isn’t the best way to solve the problem. There are many reasons to have an issue with the “Karen” stereotype. First, it’s terrible for people named Karen, and it’s also a connotation that many feel is racist, sexist and ageist.

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