Summer! Time to play, take a break, go to the pool, visit the beach, hike that daunting peak. But please remember those who might not have the summer off. Remember those who are refugees just getting started, those who are homeless hoping to get started again, those who are without–wondering where the next meal might come from, and those who are working hard just to […]
Remembering
On this special day, this special time of year, let us remember and be grateful for those who have gone before. I am grateful for my many generations back grandfather William who fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary War. He and many others, sacrificed their comfort and risked their lives and their way of life to fight for their idea of real freedom. Their sacrifices bought them […]
Grace
“Diversity is what makes America great to me.” My story coming to the states is probably different than that of most people who have had to emigrate due to extenuating circumstances, which has been the case of many dear friends of mine. Personally, education was the reason for me to come. I am a college student who decided to come and learn from this country’s […]
Accepting Kindness
I was out in the city the other day. Right about lunch time, I walked by a man who was asking for spare change. That morning I had thrown a couple of granola bars into my bag. I stopped, stepped back, and offered one to him. He was so grateful and thanked me for providing something for him to eat. I commented on his fancy poncho, which was […]
Seeking Religious Freedom
Israel Goldfarb was born the eighth child of Herschel Goldfarb and Luba Friedman on December 25, 1912 in Novograd, Russia. Between the early 1800’s – 1920’s, one half million Jews immigrated to the United States. Pogroms, anti-jewish riots and killings were often conducted to flush out Jews. This violence was particularly intense where the Goldfarbs lived in Novograd. They decided to make the voyage to […]
Room for Compassion
Give me your tired . . . I knew a young mother who was overwhelmed and exhausted. Her friends and neighbors recognized the signs and came to the rescue. One took her two children to the park. One came and swept the floor. One arrived to fold the laundry. One stopped by for a friendly visit. They all brought a meal. They lifted her burdens […]
A Better Life
James Maguire left his parent’s home in Caven, Ireland in 1865 in search of a more prosperous future. Upon arrival in America, he found work in New Jersey and eventually earned enough to support his move to Minnesota where he purchased an initial tract of land and began to make his way as a farmer. As the years passed, he worked hard to improve his […]
Educating Ourselves
One of the many wonderful things about living in the United States of America is the opportunity to obtain a free education. This is a gift for which we should be very grateful. And the best way to show our gratitude? By taking advantage of this gift: learning as much as we can while we are in school, encouraging our children to do the same and then […]
An Invite to Dinner
This is a story of an immigrant family. An immigrant family whose ancestors had lived in the United States for many generations, but chose to start a new life elsewhere in this country. These immigrants, Edmund and Mary Ann, loaded up their small family and headed west in a wagon on their way to a better life in Oregon. However, in Wyoming, their best ox died […]
Our Lady of Liberty
You hold the light–the beacon to our nation The opportunity for us all to shine forth To share your promise with others Through love and friendship Through understanding and inclusion You encourage us to stand: On our windswept shores Or our warm sandy beaches On our crowded city streets Or our quiet back porches And say, “Come, join us in our land. A land of […]
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