But we can all be heroic
A Personal Journey—Yours and Ours
Connie and I have “adopted” two children in Africa since 2005 through World Help. Over the years, we received letters and photos. We watched those children grow—and we grew too. We witnessed them graduate from kindergarten, and years later from high school, marveling at how their handwriting and use of language evolved over time. Every note, every update was a window into their worlds and their dreams. Though we will most likely never meet them in person, we know that a part of us travels with them wherever life leads. The pure gift of being part of something bigger than ourselves filled us with a joy that words can scarcely capture.
Connie and I have “adopted” two children in Africa since 2005 through World Help. Over the years, we received letters and photos. We watched those children grow—and we grew too. We witnessed them graduate from kindergarten, and years later from high school, marveling at how their handwriting and use of language evolved over time. Every note, every update was a window into their worlds and their dreams. Though we will most likely never meet them in person, we know that a part of us travels with them wherever life leads. The pure gift of being part of something bigger than ourselves filled us with a joy that words can scarcely capture.
Chef José Andrés & World Central Kitchen: “Feeding the Soul in the Heart of Disaster”
Imagine a chef wading through the debris of Haiti in 2010, not checking Yelp reviews but fashioning makeshift kitchens in ruined streets—plating meals to quivering hands and empty eyes. That moment marked the birth of WCK under José Andrés—an organization that doesn’t just serve food, but hope.
José Andrés, a Spanish-born chef trained in the culinary arts of Spain’s finest kitchens, came to America to share his passion for food. Over time, his celebrated restaurants won acclaim, but it was the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that shifted his life’s purpose. Seeing devastation and hunger on a massive scale, he realized that food could be more than a luxury—it could be a lifeline. José believes that food is a universal human right, and he has devoted himself to using his skills to feed those in the direst need, often risking his own safety to do so. His hands, once busy crafting haute cuisine, now prepare meals that nourish not just bodies, but spirits.
Fast-forward to Gaza: WCK served over 130 million meals by May 2025, in territories starving—not just for food, but for dignity. Yet the raw truth is this: WCK’s brave team has paid the ultimate price. At least 18 aid workers were killed in war zones—seven in April 2024 alone after an airstrike hit their convoy, and others later in November 2024 and March 2025.
José Andrés said, with grief in his voice, “When I wake up knowing that she lost her life delivering food… that was a moment I will never forget.”
🏥 Doctors Without Borders: Bet on Humanity, Every Time
In conflict zones—Gaza, South Sudan, Afghanistan—MSF doctors and volunteers are not just treating wounds, they’re bearing witness. In Gaza, MSF medics have donated their own blood to save patients because local supplies ran out, even amid bombardment.
South Sudan’s Old Fangak hospital, operated by MSF, was bombed on May 3, 2025, killing seven people, including a 9-month-old—amid a deliberate attack on a facility publicly marked and shared with all parties. It stands as “a grave breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime.”
Afghanistan’s MSF trauma hospital in Kunduz once provided 5,900 surgeries in a year. In 2015, it was deliberately bombed for 30 minutes—42 people died in their beds, including infants and medical staff. Survivors spoke of “burned beyond recognition” bodies and missing limbs.
Yet amid these horrors, MSF continues to stand as a beacon of resilience and hope. Each year, they perform hundreds of thousands of surgeries, deliver tens of thousands of babies, and treat millions of patients suffering from diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and cholera. Their tireless work has earned them the Nobel Peace Prize and the undying gratitude of countless communities worldwide. Through their courage and compassion, MSF reminds us all that humanity can prevail even in the darkest corners of the world.
🌍 Why This Matters to Us
Right now, scrolling through headlines of atrocity can leave us feeling helpless—like spiritual bystanders. Most of us aren’t doctors ready to board a plane into bombardment, or chefs prepared to build kitchens from dust. We’re doing our best right here, keeping our corner of the world balanced.
But here’s the spark: we can support this good. We can stand with the fearless—those who give blood from their bodies, who build kitchens amid bombs, who operate hospitals on the verge of death. That solidarity counts. It mends something inside us when the world feels broken, helping sustain our mental and spiritual health.
Now, I can’t be José Andrés or a battlefield doctor—but I can write. So I’ve decided: every dollar from paid subscriptions goes to WCK and MSF. It’s a small sacrifice—but it stitches our hearts into the fabric of global compassion.
We can’t always do, but we can support. And in supporting, we join humanity’s better angels.
Let’s Be Part of the Good
Subscribing is more than a transaction. It’s a stand. It’s a candle lit in a dark room. It’s our reminder—every month—that we choose connection, we choose hope, we choose compassion.
Will you join me?
With love,
Bob Martin
A Wise and Happy Life
A Short Reflection
Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe deeply.
Notice whatever physical sensations are present.
Allow your shoulders to reax
Picture a small quiet pond with dark water.
Imagine a small diamond falling into the center of the pond.
Pictire the ripples that flow outward turning the dark water clear
With each breath, see the ripple widen—touching distant shores.
Breath. Breath again
Remember: even the smallest act of kindness sends ripples far beyond what we can see. In giving, in supporting, in standing for good—we become that ripple. Feel the peace of knowing you are connected to the vast, quiet goodness that holds the world together.
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