Despite the historical significance of Pope John Paul II’s death, I have to admit that he had no direct effect on my life. Certainly, the global chain of events stemming from his actions as Pope affected me to some degree, but in response to ’s question, he was not someone who inspired me.

For our eighth grade speech contest, we were asked to give a speech about someone we admired. Although I can’t remember who I focused on in my speech back then, I would have no shortage of people to talk about now.

I admire…

  • My father who had the courage to leave Taiwan, the country where he spent over 30 years of his life, to strive for a better life for himself and his young family in the U.S.
  • My mother whose resourcefulness helped guarantee our success even though she had to speak a foreign language, live in the Midwest for a while, and learn how to drive.
  • My sister who was a dedicated high school teacher and assistant principal and now tries to make our world a better place by policing the Internet.
  • My husband who supports our family through dedication, honesty, and hard work - rare traits in this selfish world.
  • My mother-in-law who has maintained her love of life despite many bumps along the way and who is more kind and generous to me than I deserve.
  • My domestic helper who lived through the Vietnam War and yet remains cheerful and kind hearted.
  • My aunt who cares for an invalid husband without complaint.
  • My friends around the world who are doing important work in public health and medicine.
  • My housekeepers who clean my apartment and over ten others six days out of the week, and allow Stephen to jump on the beds while they attempt to tidy up.
  • Every single one of you who take the time to reach out to me and make me feel interconnected.

Inspiration is all around me; just an arm’s length away.