Love is in the Air at Repair
by Jillian Kornsweig | February 12, 2013 | 0 commentsLove comes in many forms. Whether it’s for a person, an accomplishment, a memory, a pet, we’re excited for the famous upcoming day dedicated to celebrating love in all forms!
Today we’ve created a compilation of stories by Repair the World’s staff that reflect on the things, moments, people, and places from this past year that really made us stop and feel the love! Get to know the people behind Repair, and be sure to share with us what YOU love this Valentine’s Day.
Marci Soifer
"During the Hurricane, I went against city orders and walked a block outside of my apartment. I saw police officers wading up to their knees in water on First Avenue, working to keep the community safe. The reality facing me, away from the TV sets and radios, struck a chord. It's about a moment when you understand that what you see can be powerful enough to move you to act." - Marci
Jacqueline Broder
"This year, my new family through marriage (who don't speak English) made a concerted effort to communicate with me via email despite several failed attempts with online translation services. It truly brought to life the concept that communication isn't only about the written & spoken word…love breaks all barriers, even when you don't speak the same language." - Jacqueline
Danielle Kirshenblat
"I <3 NY! Having lived here my whole life, it can seem like nothing can shock you. However, I honestly continue to find new activities, people, and places every day that surprise me, and inspire me to continue to explore. A great example of this inspiration is the blog "Humans of New York" which captures a handful of the interesting stories this city is made up of, and provides my daily dose of inspiration and encouragement to stand out in a crowd." -Danielle
Amy Goldsmith
"Earlier this winter I accompanied three thirteen-year-olds for the afternoon, as they delivered packaged food to an elderly woman. Desperately, they searched for common conversation topics, as one ordinarily rambunctious teen yelled out the names of sports she MUST have played… "Basketball? Soccer? How 'bout shuffleboard?" "Well I did used to play golf," she said as his face lit up. "GOLF! Now that's a great sport! Putt-putt or regular?" There's no age limit on true friendship." - Amy
Sophia Chitlik
In September, my boyfriend told me that his favorite part of Thanksgiving is having everyone he loves in one place, and he wanted me to have that, too – so he was inviting my whole family to his parents house. After I put aside my fears of our parents meeting each other (was this the right time?!), my mom, my dad, and my step mom flew 3,000 miles to New York so we could all be together. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many people whose common denominator is their love for you, and for both of us! - Sophia
Ben Falik
I have always aspired to help people reach for the stars and jump for joy. This took on an unprecedentedly literal meaning when I was tasked with making the most important legislative decision of my life. (Yes, more important than the theme of the 2000 High School Prom. Yes, it was Under the Sea.) Trampolines were at risk of extinction. At least of being zoned out of existence. At least in front and side yards in Huntington Woods, Michigan. In my capacity as a member of the Huntington Woods zoning board of appeals, I deliberated with my fellow board members and considered the deep philosophical implications of the code interpretation. Is a trampoline more like an ice rink or an adirondack chair? After what felt like hours of heated discussion, replete with doe-eyed children and curmudgeonly old people, I was honored and humbled to cast the deciding vote in a 4-3 decision to let the children (and adults who still act like children) jump another day. - Ben
Aaron Miner
"My cousin co-founded a non-profit that donates bikes to kids in low-income communities for the holidays. Seeing him in action not only made me proud of him, but also reminded me that my dedication to service and volunteering is something that was passed along through my grandparents who have modeled the spirit of giving to my entire family." - Aaron
Dara Lehon
"This year, a few things I loved: 1 - being reminded that while it's awesome that art and design sometimes try to re-create nature, nature still kinda rocks it out 2 that New Yorkers learned about communities outside their own zip code as they came together over Hurricane Sandy (that shook my hometown) 3-remembering that biking beats a taxi any day, and 4-that I avoided another year using the term "totes" when not referring to a bag." - Dara
Aria Auerbach
"Over the summer, I traveled to Turkey with an incredible group of strangers from various background and had the unique opportunity to learn about the Turkish culture from an insider point of view. Through it all, I developed a new found appreciation of meeting new people, sharing proud experiences and walking away with a new understanding of cultural diversity!" - Aria
Siobhan Nietzel
"This summer I was at Euro 2012 in Wroclaw, Poland with my brother. The fan zone for the Russia – Poland match was so full that you could not see the massive screens setup throughout. The whole city shut down to watch and the celebrations when Poland scored are something I will never forget." - Siobhan
Jillian Kornsweig
"This year, I joined the rest of my fellow New Yorkers to celebrate the acceptance of love between all humans on that monumental summer day in July."
