All of us need help at some point in our lives—sometimes at many points in our lives. On good days, our wish for help is relatively trivial, say asking a neighbor to help us move a piece of furniture or a passerby for driving directions. At other times, our need for aid may be deeper […]
This I Believe
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This I Believe New England – Round Words
The words that come out of our mouths matter. They matter a lot. Carefully chosen, words can inspire, they can heal, and encourage. But, on the other side of that coin, words can inflame, they can incite, they can wound, deeply. Here’s what Confucius had to say on the subject: “Without knowing the force of […]
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This I Believe New England – Thankful for Ordinary Things
Perhaps it’s a truism, but it sure does seem that the older we get, the more we appreciate life’s fragility and are better able to feel gratitude for whatever good fortune comes our way. As Cicero said more than 2,000 years ago, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all […]
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This I Believe New England – Transphobia Pandemic
The word pandemic is now a central element of our vocabulary. COVID-19 has made sure of that, hasn’t it? Since its unwelcome arrival, this pandemic has taught us so many life lessons, among them the need for precautions, safety measures, and, we hope, empathy. Calvin Bales is here to implore us to extend these important […]
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This I Believe New England – Embracing Change
Every life is filled with change, some unbidden and some welcome. On occasion, the life we know gets turned upside down, forcing us to confront the unexpected and cope with what comes our way. And this is what happened to 13-year-old Alex Zenit. Alex Zenit lives with his family in Providence. In the fall he will enter the […]
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This I Believe New England – Where I’m From
It’s a truism that adolescence poses all manner of challenges, not the least among them sorting out one’s identity. The psychologist Louise Kaplan once said, “Adolescence is the conjugator of childhood and adulthood.” Let’s hear Jack Willimann’s take on his unique challenge. Jack Willimann lives with his family in Providence. In the fall he will be entering […]
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This I Believe New England – Two Worlds
There is no doubt that all of us are coping with unprecedented challenges as we live amidst the swirl of health care challenges, social unrest, political turmoil, and glaring inequities. In moments like these, it can be hard to find silver linings and reasons to feel truly grateful. Yet, for many of us, though we […]
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This I Believe New England – Gentle Reminders
All of us have memories, some joyful, some painful, and some that are, well, mainly complicated. These memories may linger in our minds or perhaps are tethered to long-forgotten mementos stored away in our overpacked drawers and closets. The poet Oscar Wilde once said, “Memory is the diary we all carry about with us.” Let’s hear about […]
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This I Believe New England – Great Books
Raise your hand if a book has changed your life, moved you to tears, or taken you to places you never imagined visiting. I can’t see you, of course, but I suspect many hands just went up. Certainly, some books have a remarkable ability to alter our worlds, sometimes in a solitary way and sometimes, […]
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This I Believe New England – What Animals Can Teach Us
Perhaps all of us are exhausted emotionally by the painful, steady stream of news about conflict in our world. Wars between nations and political factions. Racial and ethnic tension. Domestic violence. The list goes on. Don’t all of us yearn for conciliation and, when called for, reconciliation? Jennifer Bristol reminds us how important it is to seek common ground. Jennifer […]
