At times I feel a strange confused disconnect. I was born a Cajun girl from Beaumont, Texas. I look around and find myself with real heroes. Smart, thoughtful, caring leaders. In Australia. (And Germany. And Lebanon. And Jordan) A very long way from where I started. And the stories I tell, the stories I share with them – they want to hear. Stories of the triumph of Human Spirit over adversity. Stories of profound generosity. Stories of non-ordinary people recreating lives out of their own imaginations. Building a new life from remnants. A life different than the one they were born to. Different than the one they were left with – after the disaster, after the flood, after the war.

Human spirit at its best. At its most creative. When we dream of, conceive of, a new beginning. When we come to the fork in the road and we take the path of hope and possibility. And rebuild a life, complete with meaning and a way to EARN, LEARN and BELONG.

Celebrate. The Human Spirit is not extinguishable. And if you believe that, it will take you places you never imagined. And you will have friends and loved ones in many countries and multiple continents.

The Human Spirit is not extinguishable. Really.