This I Believe

Yesterday, NPR unveiled a new segment called This I Believe that will be played weekly during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. This program is a resurrection of a radio series by the same name during the 1950s. Whether it was Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson or a cab driver in Manhattan, millions of listeners gathered each week to hear the guiding principles behind each of these individual's life.

During the afternoon hour, they played their first essay from Latin American novelist Isabel Allende which she read herself. In her short 3-5 minutes, she talked openly about the slow death of her own daughter Paula and the lesson's she has learned from that experience. By reflecting on her daughter's character and generosity, Isabel arrives at her own mantra of life: You only have what you give. It's by spending yourself that you become rich.

She closed her essay with such grace and wisdom I thought I'd share it. Enjoy.

Give, give, give -- what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine. It is in giving that I feel the spirit of my daughter inside me, like a soft presence.