Alderperson William Siebers’ Invocation At 06/02/2021 Common Council Meeting – “Let us remember that the little things can be just as important as the bigger things”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alderperson Siebers.

Alderperson Siebers: “Thank you, your honor. Each of us has been placed in a role of leadership. And it is in how we define leadership that I believe determines in part how we carry out our role as leader. I suspect each of us has our own answer to the question of what leadership is. May I share in part how I see leadership? On May 3rd I received an urgent request from a constituent. His mother was experiencing her last days on this earth. She would be receiving hospice care in the next day or so. I was asked if it would be possible to present to her before she died a street sign with the name of the street named after her. It would truly be special to her. I spoke with our public works director. Meeting this request would be a possibility but there was a process we would need to follow. It would first need to go through committee before being approved by Council. This meant the earliest we could present her the sign would be toward the end of May. For some reason I felt this would be too late. On Tuesday, the week of our Council meeting, Paula said that we could have a special committee meeting right before our Council meeting. The request approved by committee could then go to Council that night, May 5th. Brad Firkus the committee chair agreed to have a special meeting before Council. The request was approved unanimously. It then went to Council where you all graciously granted the request. Two days later Mayor Woodford and I went to the hospital to present the sign. The person we came to honor with the sign had slipped into a coma. Rather than bother a grieving family, we merely handed the sign over to a member. Hours later Sharon died. I know there have been bigger things we have done, but this small thing was no less important than those bigger things, and I suspect years from now my constituent and Sharon’s family member will not recall those bigger things we have done, but that little thing, just as important thing, will be remembered. So it is my prayer that we will include in our definition that leadership is less about the love of power and more about the power of love. That our definition will include that our greatest passion be compassion. That we not ignore the little things. Let us remember that the little things can be just as important as the bigger things. And may we always exercise the authority given to us with humility.”