“Surround yourself with great people,” my mother taught me. I try to do just that and find that the more time I spend with fantastic people, the better I strive to become. I have learned great things from simple conversations with good people at the park, out to lunch, at book club, while volunteering at my daughter’s school, and at church.
In addition to my neighborhood resources, I have found great wisdom and examples online. This digital age gives us the ability to peek into the lives of others and learn from their goodness. Though distance separates us, we can form friendships, impart wisdom, and better our lives through our associations with one another. While perusing adoption-related articles in the news (a hobby of mine), I came upon a brief video and article about a woman named Rose Marchick. I watched the video more than once, read the article, and have thought frequently about Rose this past week. I admire her greatly, and my brief exposure to her life and goodness has made an impact on me.
Watch the video here.
Rose is a foster mom. She has three biological children, and for the past 10 years, she has opened her home to nearly 200 foster children, most of whom suffer from mental or emotional disorders. The Marchich family has also adopted two children. Rose admits that she is “happiest when there’s a house full of kids.”
Life in her home is color-coded, her routines are figured to the minute, and a phone call at any time of the day or night may add another child to the mix. Her home is organized and inspirational, and those who find themselves there in the spring or summer can plan on time spent in the backyard garden.
Rose says, “It’s as simplistic as this: there are kids who need a home, and we have a home. People are always like, stop, you can’t fix the world, and I say, ‘No, but I can do what’s in front of me.’”
That quote is perhaps the part of the article and video that touched me the most. There isn’t one of us with the ability to fix the world, but we all have the power to do all we can for what is before us. This week I tried to be like Rose and do all I can to help what’s in front of me. The work that she does for the children in her area is an inspiration to me and, undoubtedly, to many others.
Rose and I don’t live in the same part of the country. Our backgrounds, religions, and education differ. I am quite certain, however, that I could go to lunch with Rose and come away a better person.
