In a world where skepticism often takes center stage, it's easy to overlook the real, tangible impact that belief, action, and compassion can have. Skeptics and critics question, they doubt, they judge, and they demand perfection. They seldom raise monuments of hope, change, or progress. John Cleese once noted "Why do people who can't do something often judge those who can."
The true monuments are not built of stone or metal. They lie in our remembering the living, breathing testaments to human empathy and relentless pursuit of positive change.
My friend, Richard Milo, who was President of Irvine Rotary when I joined, once recounted the various projects Irvine Rotary had undertaken:
We Rotarians have provided prosthesis limbs to those who have lost their legs. Cataract surgeries to those who have lost their sight. Hearing aids to those who have lost their hearing. Shelters to those who have lost their homes. Clean water to those who are thirsty. Sympathy to the families who have lost family members for our country. The lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, homes, health, and peace of mind. World peace is possible. Children smile because of you. Be inspired.
Those who believe, who act, and who strive to make the world a better place are all around us. They're not etched in stone or cast in bronze, but are imprinted on the lives of those who have been touched by our kindness and generosity.
On one of our visits to Ensenada doing a dental clinic, Felipe, our local contact, remarked “You will never be forgotten by those you have helped.”
In the end, perhaps the most powerful monument is the legacy we leave in the hearts and minds of those we've helped. These are the monuments that stand tall, that weather the storms, and that inspire generations to come.
And make us proud to be Rotarians.
PS: If you'd like to help the victims of the Maui fires, please donate HERE.
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