Apr 20, 20208 minWhile the Music ContinuesWell, let me start my story with a parable: “There once was a very small girl whose mother asked her to fill up a barren valley with water..
Apr 17, 20207 minTrapped in Gray Skies: A COVID-19 Story Life is unpredictable. People understand that now more than ever. But we also know that every situation occurs for a reason...
Dec 6, 20198 minDebora Niwa, Wife of the Elephants...As a child, I spent most of my time outside. The more time I spent in it, the closer I grew to it, and my love reached further...
Nov 22, 20196 minDo Not Lose Heartmy father was a poor shopkeeper with little earnings to feed, clothe, and provide for my mother, my four siblings, and me...
Nov 21, 20195 minSoon I Will DreamMy childhood was a distressing one because we never had enough to eat or spend on ourselves. Since I could remember, my father...
Oct 28, 20197 minI Feel My RootsMy city, Karachi, is simply magical. It’s one of the largest, most populated cities in the world and it is the economic hub of Pakistan...
Oct 6, 20197 minWhat Lies Within UsWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going. This sentence pretty much sums up my whole life...
Sep 30, 20196 minLife Is for the TakingIn the early 1990s, my father and his brother left their home in Macedonia to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant together...
Sep 9, 20197 minTo Begin in New DelhiUnfortunately, the north also houses some of the poorest and least privileged of the country. Labor can be as easily bought and sold...
Jul 11, 20198 minMy Own AdventureI was the oldest of six children and often had to help with the chores on the farm and at home. It was great having so many...
Jul 8, 20197 minWhen You’re DeterminedWe were not rich, but we lived a happy and comfortable life. I saw the world through their eyes and everything seemed wonderfully...
Jul 3, 20197 minNot My PlanWe were Turkish, and like the other Turkish families in Germany, my sister and I were taught to be responsible and helpful...
May 23, 20197 minTo Dream GreatlyEver since I can remember, I listened to the stories and news on the radio, longing to be part of the airwaves. I toyed with the idea...
May 18, 20196 minAll the AdventureFrom an early age, I showed an interest in becoming a police officer, or rather, I became interested in adventure and excitement...
Apr 29, 20196 minIf I’m to ShineIt was as if this passion for film was already in my blood. I mean, come on. Kelsey Parris the Filmmaker. It had a good ring to it. Since...
Apr 27, 20196 minThe World Is Far LargerI was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1990, maturing in a stable suburban environment, my first memories made on the playground. Besides what...
Nov 21, 20186 minA Dream in SightAnd while both were “uneducated” (in the sense that my father dropped out after 8th grade, and my mother had never been to school a day...
Oct 19, 20186 minA Peddler’s DreamAs a little boy, I would help my father sell fresh cookies in the streets of our city, Lahore. We woke up early on many mornings...
Oct 12, 20187 minFar Beyond KentuckyIf you are wondering what it was like, just picture farmland, connected to more farmland, all serving as the resting place for groups...
Oct 4, 20186 minTo the Girl Who DreamsBig or small, everyone makes plans for their future. As a girl who loved to dream, I had made plenty. Whether we lose ourselves in...