Billy and I have known each other all our lives; our mothers were first cousins. There are lots of cousins who barely know each other, but in this case our mothers were more like sisters.
Billy's mother, who I called "Cousin Bryna," told me this story about Billy: When he was a boy he was looking at a copy of Life Magazine and he came upon a page that said something like this: Don't turn this page unless you want a child to starve.
It was a request from a benevolent organization, asking people to "sponsor" neglected children.
According to his mother, Billy came to her and said,"I can't turn the page, mom," and Billy took the first step toward his future--Share Our Strength--by sponsoring a hungry child. Life is complicated. I have had four separate careers; so have most of my friends.
But some things can be simple, yet not easy. Billy's work is simple--feeding hungry children--but is it easy? I doubt it.
Billy did something nice for me which I'll remember all my life. We had a cousin in common, who died in 2008--Maxine Cohen Marcus--and who was my best friend. I asked to make a speech at her funeral. It was one of the scariest things I've ever done, but I knew that if I "chickened out" I would hate myself. Also I have a speech impediment which acts up when I'm upset, so I was terrified that I would somehow embarrass myself in front of everybody! But somehow I read my short speech, then stepped down from the podium in tears. Billy got up to speak next and when he met me there, he put his arms around me and gave me a big hug.
There are all kinds of ways of sharing strength.