Sharing this beautiful reflection. What a wonderful, wonderful evening Ive had the privilege to share in. It is the evening of a beautiful young girls graduation from a shelter. I saw the love and elation of loved ones proud to witness this moment. I saw her self-determined perseverance and transformation. And then, I sat down to one of the most powerful speeches given by the one who first fought to give her a second chance. This speech is powerful because it has been lived through. It is an honest, forthright lesson spoken by one who himself received a second chance, and who made it his mission to offer that same chance to hundreds of others. Although I wasnt the intended recipient of this speech, I felt as though I was hit by a rock. Dont even attempt to forget your past. It is not something to despise. It is a real part of your life. If you allow it to be a spectrum of who you are, it cannot shame you. It can only be a driving force for you to grow into the person you want to be. If you believe in God, you will be thankful. You will cherish this life, this opportunity, this family, these friends -- everything -- that has been given to you. And because of your gratitude to God, you will want to give back, only because you have been given this grace. If you dont believe in God, you will believe in kindness. The kindness of the people who are now in your present and your future. The kindness of those who stood by you, those who believe in you. And when you come to be in that same position one day, when you are able to offer help, to stand up for someone, you will do it because you remember this day. ~ Josephus Tan, the criminal lawyer who fought for her when no one else dared to try. Sometimes, when I look back at the past two years of my life, when I first came to know these precious young lives, and incredible souls like Josephus, I am reminded that this was not a path I consciously determined, but formed as a tapestry of journeys that opened unto another. It happened right when I was still searching, unsure, and attempting to understand... yet it remains undeniable that our paths crossed for a cause. The divine has a silent, incredible way of weaving our lives together in a way that catches, saves and illuminates. Through the #SGIFF2014, Ive been given yet another opportunity to rethink the importance of stories, how through an artform like film, important human values that are necessary to enlarge us are the very things storytellers embed into art. There has never been a more opportune time such as this: we need to expand our perspectives, and to give our values and our lives a second thought. And film offers us that chance for reflection. If you have ever experienced the power of second chances, of belief and of hope, heres a video interview that weve put together that could push you to consider the impact of spreading that generosity. Told through a beloved film, and a real-life Patch Adams, it is a reminder of how some things that should be shared, must be shared. - Karen Wai
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 03:18:10 +0000
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