Four Days, Three Nights
Lulled by a mysterious dream, Michael Marchetti was pulled to understand in mind, body, and spirit the experience of being homeless. For four days and three nights of May 2024, the former pilot surfaced on the streets of Austria's second largest city, penniless and without a cell phone, to literally walk in the shoes of those who have no address, by societal standards. Going into the experiment, h... posted on Jul 18 2024, 3,190 reads

Momentary Eternal: Conversation with Derek Weisberg
Without quite knowing why, I’d kept an eye on this young artist for years. Then, on a visit to the Bay Area, I felt the time had come to ask him for an interview. His response to my inquiry about what drew him so deeply into art making is telling:  “Art evokes life’s great pursuits - religion and the human experience, right? To be completely present in this longer, ener... posted on May 12 2024, 1,181 reads

Behind One Mother's Whimsical Fairy Forest
Therese Ojibway wanted to be able to "find things" with her son, who has autism, in their walks on a local forest trail in Millburn, New Jersey. She built and placed tiny fairy homes in the nooks and crannies they could "discover" together. As time went on and she added more and more homes, it became known as the Fairy Trail and loved by locals. "She thought this was a dynamic way of getting littl... posted on Apr 28 2024, 1,850 reads

The 'Bad Weather' Friend
In an era dominated by individualism and self-interest, one retiree emerges as a beacon of community-centric spirit in Fort Worth, Texas. When Apryl Goodwin, 46, was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she found herself in a tight predicament: "I had no transportation and I didn't know what to do." In parallel, retiree Lyn Story, 64, had free time on her hands. When she read about Goodwin's situation o... posted on Apr 22 2024, 1,697 reads

Dancing with the Enemy
"I wonder if you all will find the courage to step out onto the dance floor and to dance with those who are our enemies," says Rev. Chaz Howard, as he invites us to look beyond our differences and tap into a space of being human. A soulful presence, the youngest ever chaplain of an Ivy League university narrates the heart-warming experience of his students from different religious settings coming ... posted on Apr 21 2024, 3,384 reads

Selfless Athlete Surrenders Spotlight
Chase O'Brien, a 17-year-old athlete from the Yukon, handed over a golden opportunity to his friend. Having qualified for the Arctic Winter Games for the second time, Chase decided to let his friend, Gallagher D'Abramo, compete in his place. Not only had D'Abramo previously missed out on the games, but this was also his last chance to participate due to age restrictions. Chase notes, "I felt like ... posted on Apr 11 2024, 1,444 reads

How Sisterly Love Transformed a Brothel in Delhi
Fresh out of her university studies, Gitanjali Babbar embarked on a two-year fellowship that had her conducting health surveys with women in Delhi's red light district. Struck by the raw humanity she encountered in the brothel workers, Gitanjali began visiting the women in her free time, sharing meals and listening to stories from their harrowing life journeys, where they were often trafficked at ... posted on Apr 01 2024, 3,113 reads

Author Drops Everything To Visit Bronx Students
Tommy Orange, author of There There, dropped everything amidst an active book tour to visit a Bronx high school class. Their teacher, Rick Ouimet, had written an impassioned email invitation, sharing how deeply transformative the book had been for his students. "It’s not often that an author walks into a room full of readers, let alone teenagers, who talk about characters born in hi... posted on Mar 27 2024, 2,144 reads

Never Too Late: Becoming a World Champion at 40
Deanna Stellato-Dudek, a retired figure skater, made history at the ripe athletic age of 40, becoming the oldest woman ever to win a World Figure Skating Championship. After a series of injuries pushed her to retire from skating at the age of 17 in 2001, Stellato-Dudek went on with her life -- becoming a successful aesthetician and getting married. The unfinished saga of her athletic journey, thou... posted on Mar 25 2024, 1,505 reads

Hug Therapy Revolution in Argentina
Welcome to the world of hug therapy, where Irma Castro and her volunteer squad are making strides in neonatal care in Córdoba, Argentina. Part of a public maternity hospital initiative, these 'huggers' offer their warmth and touch to premature and underweight babies, whose mothers may be absent due to countless circumstances. From aiding neurodevelopment to stimulating weight gain, the powe... posted on Mar 24 2024, 1,640 reads