This I Believe

After a lifetime of not believing in fairy tales, white dresses, and walking down the aisle, Abbe Fletman had a change of heart. After sharing a house, two children, and more than 20 years with her partner, Jane, Ms. Fletman found that she really does believe in marriage—and living happily ever after.

We know them. We depend on them. We call them out on cold, rainy nights. Now, college professor Sarah Adams tells us why her life philosophy is built around being cool to the pizza delivery dude.

As a young immigrant to America, Becky Sun heard about a magical man who brings Christmas presents. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t know about the tradition, so Santa failed to visit their house. When she finally met Santa years later, he gave Sun a memorable gift.

When James T. Harris was a young man, he had a summer job as a janitor, cleaning restrooms in local factories. Harris was surprised—and even angry—when people ignored him and made him feel "invisible" because of his uniform and his position. Now, as a university president, he believes all young people should get out of their comfort zones and see the world from other people's perspectives.

Jane Golden has known the importance of public art since she was a young girl. And through her experience of bringing more than 3,800 works of art to the city of Philadelphia, she wholeheartedly believes that public murals have a unique way of bringing people together to tell the stories of the people in the neighborhood.

When in high school, Claire Lamberth had two teachers who taught her how to see things differently. Today, she still continues to see something new each time she looks at a familiar object, and she hopes future generations are also taught to use their own eyes and ears.

Sister Mary Scullion has been fighting to end homelessness for more than thirty years. She clearly believes that every person deserves to have affordable housing, health care, and an education. But she has also come to believe that every person benefits—the giver and the receiver—when working to help others.

When Fran Fierson was in the third grade, she had a teacher who insisted that every child do his or her personal best. Ms. Fierson took his advice to heart, and she still lives by those words today.

When Nathan Alling Long's dog was missing a few years ago, he found himself heartbroken and unable to accept the fact that he would never know what happened to her. But a friend suggested that he change his thinking and pretend his dog Gracie was on an adventure. Long then realized that he truly believes in the power of story.

Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson has presided over civil trial courtrooms for nearly twenty years, and she has instructed her juries to reach a verdict only after careful and thorough deliberation. Recently, she realized that she should follow the same advice in deliberating over her future.