This I Believe

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his adopted home, social worker Mike Miller had opportunities to move anywhere in the country. But he believes he’ll stay right where he belongs: in New Orleans.

For years, journalist Ted Gup wasn’t sure what he believed, and he felt uncomfortable in the company of people who freely shared their firm beliefs. Now he accepts his own uncertainty as a good thing.

You may not know it, but the person in the adjoining cubicle could be a singer, a dancer or a painter. A civil engineer by trade but a pianist at heart, Mel Rusnov believes in cultivating hidden talents.

In high school, Eboo Patel failed to support a friend facing anti-Semitism. Now, the Chicago interfaith youth organizer believes honoring diversity means having the courage to actively speak up for it.

Following her grandmother’s death, Priya Chandrasekaran wondered what to do with the colorful silk saris she inherited. In deciding to make a quilt from them, Chandrasekaran believes she found a way to both honor her grandmother and create something new.

Rick Moody has built a life in words: in writing them for his books like “The Ice Storm,” and in reading them. He believes there is unlimited joy in opening a new book and delving into its story.

How do we open ourselves to the connections that can unite us even across racial, political or religious differences? Iranian-born writer Azar Nafisi finds the answer in a classic of American literature.

When Chicago journalist Mary Mrugalski was unmarried and pregnant, she baked bread. When her daughter fought a long illness, they worked the dough together. Mrugalski believes in the comfort and peace she gets from making bread with those she loves.

Professor and attorney Michael Mullane believes the rule of law must be upheld — even in times of threat and crisis. As fragile as it can be, Mullane says we are all protected by and accountable to the law.

Journalism professor John W. Fountain was four years old when police took his abusive father away. His lifelong sorrow from living without a "daddy" was comforted by finding a new father – a spiritual father – in God. More stories at thisibelieve.org.

For years, Phyllis Allen found her belief in the social movement of the times: from civil rights to Black Power. Now in her 50s, she is finally able to believe in the woman she is.

When Seth Chalmer was an adolescent, he regularly endured numerous and lengthy lectures from his father. After relaying one particular story of an incident on the middle school playground, Chalmer got one of the shortest lectures ever, but the lesson within has lasted a lifetime. More at our website thisibelieve.org.

Several years ago, Jackie Lantry found herself in a Chinese hotel room with a terrified young boy. Today, her adopted son Luke is a happy member of her Massachusetts family thanks to the power of love. More programs at thisibelieve.org.

After being transplanted from a vibrant city life to the isolation of a small town, retired school teacher Ruth Kamps found solace in nature and inspiration in the pine tree growing outside her kitchen window. More programs at thisibelieve.org.

For Cecilia Munoz, a childhood memory of anger has inspired a career in activism. She believes that early outrage fuels her work on behalf Hispanic immigrants for the National Council of La Raza. More programs at thisibelieve.org.