Author Archives: Dignity Freedom Fighter

Life can bring many emotions. We feel joy when a baby is born. We feel proud when our children succeed and happiness when we find our soulmate, or we get the job we always wanted. These are times we celebrate, and we talk about how wonderful life is. Our greatest challenge is when tragedies happenContinue reading “Dignity: Shine Your Light and Overcome “

One of the biggest roadblocks to dignity is often our internal battles. It is when we have difficulty overcoming those times in our lives when we did not honor our own dignity or the dignity of others. When we are on our lifelong dignity journey, these thoughts will come to us, and we will thinkContinue reading “Dignity: “This is the Way.” The Mandalorian “

I recently attended a ceremony that featured a young man who had a very challenging and difficult life. He had been in an out of many institutions and programs since age three. He had no family, so he had to depend on the programs to be his family. This young man talked about his challengesContinue reading “Dignity: A Life Changer  “

Every year since 2017 I have received a message from a former patient because they are celebrating another year of sobriety. She took her last drink the day she came to the hospital I worked at back in 2017, and she said that it was how I treated her and her family at their most challenging momentContinue reading “Dignity: The Slayer of Bias “

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” ― Arthur Ashe  When I was around eight or nine years old, I had the honor of meeting Arthur Ashe. Some of you may not know who he wasContinue reading “Dignity: My Life’s Purpose “

“Do not heal in isolation. Connecting with others is how we develop compassion for others and for ourselves.”– Archbishop Desmond Tutu   I was hesitant at first to send the message below. It can be difficult to speak about something as tragic as the Earthquakes in Turkey. The significant loss of life and the tragedyContinue reading “Dignity: Connecting Through the Human Experience “

“Direction, not intention, determines destination.” Pastor Andy Stanley, The Principle of the Path.  I want to tell you a story about a young man who decided to take on cross country skiing as his winter sport of choice. Prior to this he had been on skis once when he was 3 or 4 years old.Continue reading “Dignity: Small Steps  “

The greatest part about my role as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for Berkshire Health is that I have had the opportunity to meet people I probably never would have met. As I have said before this has been a journey of learning for me. My eyes are wide open when they have beenContinue reading “Dignity: The People Are The Mission “

Many of you may not know but back in November of 2022 I slipped on ice and torn the quadricep tendon on my right leg. This tendon is responsible for helping your leg bend. I had to have surgery in December of 2022, and I now must keep my leg straight for the next 3 months.Continue reading “Dignity: Ripples in the Water “

“I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life’s blueprint. Number one…should be a deep belief in your own dignity. Your worth and your own somebodiness… Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.” DR. Martin Luther King Jr.  The above quote was sent to me by a friendContinue reading “Dignity: You Have Worth “