Monthly Archive

I had this terrible feeling yesterday. I was in the shower, and I heard my cell phone ring. Then I heard my home phone ring. Then my cell phone again. I knew instantly that it was my sister trying to call because she’s the only one who knows my home number.

Then, suddenly, I had this overwhelming fear that she was calling to tell me that our mom had passed away. I know this seems illogical and even neurotic, but the truth is, my mom could die at any minute as her Multiple Sclerosis continues to destroy her body. And I’m left with the realization that, if something were to happen, I would not be able to say goodbye.

This is one of the hardest aspects about living in Guatemala. Although I love almost everything about being here, the thought of my mom dying without saying goodbye to her makes me feel vulnerable and even scared.

Despite the fact that every time I’m home I spend as much time with her as possible, and I tell her I love her repeatedly, and I make sure she knows how grateful I am for everything she has done for me…

…I’m still afraid.

We need mentors. I don’t care if you’re eight years old, 18 years old, or 58 years old. We all need people whom we can look at and say, “I admire them and the way they live their lives. I look up to them, because I know they are living their lives with a purpose and with truth.”

A mentor can be someone alive or dead, they can be someone famous, or they can be your best friend. But you have to be able to recognize something in them that you genuinely know is good and true.

Martin Luther King Jr. has always been one of my mentors for the simple fact that he gave his life to serve others. He sacrificed a great deal–ultimately his life–because he believed in a cause, and it was clear that his life served a greater purpose than simply entertaining himself or accumulating wealth.

The fact of that matter is, we need more positive heroes who not only remind us of what it means to live a noble life but who also MOTIVATE US TO BECOME BETTER. Some people I look up to and admire are below:

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jesus Christ
• Buddha (Siddhartha)
• Bill Gates
• Rosa Parks
• Bono
• Albert Einstein
• Abraham Lincoln
• Nicholas Glab
• Nelson Mandela
• And many more…

At times I get these poetic urges
and creative surges

I’ll write down a word, a line, then a verse
it feels natural to me, like a woman carries a purse

This has happened tonight
in the midst of a poetic delight
a flow of words have come out right

So here’s a poem about possibility
and a bit about helping humanity,
because if we’d each discover
and uncover our own identity
I do believe
we’d experience unparalleled unity.

We simply need to illuminate our light
come together, and hold on tight

And now…the real poem…

“Even a Small Amount of Light”

Even a small amount of light
when placed just right
can have the power to ignite.

Perhaps if its placed on a piece of art
the beating of the most hollowed heart
might, ever so slowly, restart.

Or maybe if its shined into the sky
as the sun drifts boldy by
the darkness might not make each day die.

Each of us has this same light
which we can ignite
despite the blackness of the night

We simply need the willingness to begin
exposing what we possess within
believing in who we truly are once again.

Then, with all of that light from inside of us
we can capture that love trying to hide from us
stand tall and and regain some pride in us
because we’ll shine together
and take great strides for all of us.