Time

“This is a man who cherished his time and lived each moment as if it were his last. He has touched so many lives, including mine. I just wish we all had more time with him.” Time Time. It stands still, yet flies by. We take it for granted, yet cherish every second. And in […]

Life’s Unknown Expiration Date

“All I can take away from this is that life’s timeline is unknown. None of us have a timeline for how long we will be here. But we do have an expiration date. An unknown expiration date. So we need to live our lives as if that expiration date is coming soon.” Life’s Unknown Expiration […]

Every Second of the Day

“When I first saw Roshida in America, she was a different person. She had a phone. That means she had her family back.” Every Second of the Day Roshida grabs her phone, presses the call button, and props it up against the water bottle on the table. Within two seconds, someone on the other line picks […]

Freedom is not Free

“Freedom is not free.” It never was. Poppi was a good one to remind us of those words. Every year on November 11, we celebrate Poppi’s service — and the lives of the men and women who served our country. We think of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. All in the name of freedom. […]

The Broken System

The Salt Flats | Bangladesh

COVID-19 Pandemic: Just a couple weeks ago, I was exploring the salt flats with Nihab and marveled at the incredible work of the men in this trade. I watched as they gathered the salt into large piles and filled up basket after basket, carrying each basket carefully to the next person, who carried it to […]

Heading Home

The Rohingya community has taught me about the value of family. I’ve spent years following my Rohingya friends who can only dream that they might see their family again. I’ve had the privilege of meeting their families when they can’t do it themselves. Every reunion is so powerful. With every reunion, I think of my […]

To Educate a Girl

“I’m not like the other girls here.  My thoughts are different from theirs. I’m willing to push the boundaries more. That’s because I was lucky to receive an education. But it’s hard to try and bring change when it’s just me. If everyone was educated here, maybe they would think like me and we could […]

The Little “Constants”

The Little “Constants” The little “constants” in our lives are what keep us going. When we see nothing but change around us, we can still find comfort in the routine — the comfort of habitual behavior. When we find the habits that keep us going, we hold onto them. For Nonni, it’s her unwavering dedication to […]

The 5 Minute Project

All they did was put aside 5 minutes of their time to print something and add it to the binder. Those consistent 5 minutes a day created something beautiful that I can hold onto forever.