On The Journey Toward Celebrating Life

Deciding to participate in a summer service project at a refugee relief agency after my freshman year of college seemed rather insignificant at the time. Although I expected that this would be an opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing refugees and asylum-seekers living in the United States, I could never have known that this experience would serve as a continual source of hope and inspiration well beyond the four short months that I spent as a volunteer.
I began that summer fully absorbed with my own worries about school, family and relationships. Within days, however, I found myself enveloped by a world of vastly different concerns - a world in which refugee women were forced to revisit daily the immense pain of their war-torn pasts. Having never encountered such hardships in my own life, I could not fathom how these refugees could remain positive despite their suffering. I soon came to admire the optimism and courage of these remarkable women.
One woman in particular exemplified the hopefulness that inspires me even today. Asha was a widowed Somali refugee, a mother who had lost all but one of her children in war. Every day, she came to the office with a smile on her face, eager to improve her English skills so that she could find a decent job in America. Although she could never fully escape her past, she worked toward providing a better future for her son. Faced with the choice of giving up hope or embarking on a new and unknown life, Asha chose to celebrate life. She remains a powerful inspiration for me in difficult times.

- Melanie C. Vrable