Learning to Grow Every Day

While this has been a slower reading month for me, it has also been a rewarding one. There is no greater feeling than being challenged by a book, and I have been challenged by two books this month. The Zookeeper’s Wife , by Diane Ackerman, was a book I listened to in my car on the way to school and back. Ackerman recounted the true story of Antonina and Jan Zabinski (the director of the Warsaw Zoo) and their risky act of kindness to save hundreds of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. I often ask myself what I would do in that situation. Would I risk my own life to save the lives of others? Of course, I would hope the answer would be yes, but one can never be sure. Even decades later, it is so inspiring to read the story of citizens who risked it all to save those who were being persecuted. Truly selfless acts of kindness sometimes require sacrificing ones’ own comfort or safety for the benefit of others. 9/11 is a transformative event that has so many different perspectives and storie...

I have some new blog ideas in the works; however, this past weekend my family had a community service experience that is worth sharing. Alas, my other blog ideas will have to wait a week. About a week ago, my wife caught wind of a family service opportunity through our church for an organization called Mobility Worldwide. Out of 25 locations across the country, the lone location in Ohio happens to be in Stow, Oh. This organization builds hand-driven carts for men and women who are immobile or don’t have legs. A team of volunteers, many of them retired, get together each week to put together these carts, which are then distributed worldwide to those in need. The genius of the operations lies in the setup. Although it took a while to set up, a group of men got together six years ago and began setting up a workshop with preconfigured jigs set up at each station; these jigs allow for producing a consistent product. Because they are set up this way, it allows volunteers ...