My dad passed away 16 years ago on October 1, 2009 six months after a heart transplant. His last stay in the hospital lasted two and a half weeks. One of the ways I honored his memory was by remembering Paris Thomas, a security guard at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

A man tried to burn down his mosque in one of many post-9/11 hate crimes. Issa Qandeel confronted him, was shot at and chased him. The FBI wanted to make an example out of him, but Issa argued for a lesser sentence, citing the importance of forgiveness in Islam. I had the honor of interviewing him and telling his story in Colors NW Magazine on the one-year anniversary of the attacks of September 11.

I don't usually take the time to relax and quiet the non-stop commentary in my head of things I want to to do, need to do, haven't done or could consider doing. I finished this book in two days on vacation, including staying up till 4am on Saturday night.

Wesleyan has always been an important part of our life. We’ve gone to reunions, revisited campus and some of our closest friends are Alumni.