EDITOR'S COLUMN “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” — Martin Luther King Jr. In the midst of what to many of us may seem a rather hopeless year— filled with COVID-19; hate crimes against all kinds of people for simply being who they are; soaring income inequality; a worsening climate crisis that increases the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, hurricanes, wild fires, and more; mass shootings; and social and political unrest around the world—now may be a hard time to find remain hopeful. However, there is reason to hope. Really. The fact is most people are not hate-filled or cruel or greedy or prone to violence. They are ordinary people who are generally hard-working, friendly, helpful, charitable, and trying to do their best to do both well and good. Sometimes, they are even heroes. Not a week goes by that we don’t see a news story about regular men and women who find themselves facing someone else’s emergency and choose to do whatever they can to help— carrying someone from a burning house or car, stopping a crime in progress, or rescuing flood victims. Then there are the many individuals who quietly and mostly anonymously feed the hungry, clothe the poor, house the homeless, care for the sick—not because it is their job, but because it is a good thing born of hope. The individuals we recognize in this issue of PDJ, as Asian Leaders Worth Watching and Women Worth Watching in STEM are all examples of people who have worked hard to succeed at work and in life. They are active in their communities and support charities they believe in. And they have made it a point to reach back to help others, through mentoring, sponsorship, and advocacy, achieve their own definition of success. So, we should all breathe a sigh of relief every time we see a hopeful sign. We have reason to now, as the pandemic seems to be abating. Although there is much we can and should do to make the world a better place—and some natural events we simply must endure—there is always reason to hold King’s “infinite hope” in our hearts. Nature itself is the ultimate expression of the indestructibility of hope. Of course a poet, in this case Pablo Neruda, said it best and most beautifully: “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” — Pablo Neruda So hang on to hope. And, as always, thanks for reading.
Teresa Fausey Associate Editor
www.womenworthwatching.com
2021 Second Quarter
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