I don’t often blog about things like this (although maybe I should) but this morning I woke up to people’s comments on a video I posted on Facebook and I was inspired to talk about it a little bit more.
About a year and a half ago my parents opened a UPS store in Virginia, and about 6 months after that they were approached by an awesome organization called “No One Left Behind” to hire a young man from Afghanistan who was now in America because he couldn’t go home after working as an interpreter for the US military. Now, without watching the video clip from the Ellen Show that I will share a link to at the end of this blog, how many of us could say they would make an effort to help someone in need from the Middle East without hesitation? How many of us could say, yes, sure, have this guy come on in and we will get him some work? My parents show me every day what it looks like to live and lead with kindness, grace, and integrity. How to look past what others may see, and find the good in everyone. They themselves have been through an insanely interesting life, coming to America from Iran with many stops in between, many struggles faced, and so much success gained. But they have also seen the true face of many people- true kindness, and unfortunately the not-so-kind faces of others.
I write all of this to encourage the few people who will read this blog to take an opportunity to help someone when it arises. Don’t make excuses, don’t let your preconceived notions of what you think of someone’s background stop you from helping where you can, or stop you from creating relationships that might change your life too! Nick has been such a great help to my parents, they consider him part of the family and I am grateful to him for all he does for them! They took a chance to hire someone they didn’t really know, and it has been one of the best things for them. Let’s all try harder to live with that same kindness and grace every day.
To see Nick on the Ellen Show click here – he’s the sweetest guy with an amazing story. But just remember- not everyone has Ellen advocating for them.
my parents and Nick at work! I wish I lived closer to photograph them myself, but until I get to visit thank goodness for iPhones!