This weekend I was reminded again of Angelina Jolie’s acceptance speech for her humanitarian award at the Oscars. If you didn’t see it, please check it out here.
She talks about how she doesn’t know why she has her charmed, extraordinary life, and a woman in a refugee camp has hers, but she will never live sheltered again and promises to forever be of service to others.
When I took my children to CCD this weekend, the teacher told us his story of sitting in Penn Station when he had missed his train. During that wait, he took 3 homeless men out for dinner when they came to ask him for cash. Each act took no more than 5 minutes, but restored hope for those who may have lost it in despair.
When I went to buy makeup last weekend, I finally took an extra five minutes to look up which companies are cruelty free, so that I can do the right thing, instead of my usual carelessness. I couldn’t believe I had never taken the time out to do that before. I was making a difference.
I think about one of my passions, ending the nightmare of domestic violence and human trafficking. This weekend, I will take a few hours and bowl. I will ask people to support me monetarily. I will never know the horror of fearing for my and my children’s safety day in and day out. But I will look to make a difference and be of use.
In these flash moments, we can all make a difference. If we each do so, imagine the impact we can have on the world at large.
“When you know better, you do better.” -Maya Angelou
Lisa Rocha Gubernick 