There are often times in our lives that we find ourselves doing something out of necessity, and not out of choice. And when we are, it is hard to believe that there is always a foundational purpose and reason for that particular situation. Yet, in the case of Frank Baez, it is pretty clear why at the age of 17, two years after coming to the US from the Dominican Republic, he ended up working as a hospital janitor at NYU. Now, at the age of 29, he just graduated with his nursing degree from NYU! Even though his job initially consisted of washing floors and cleaning toilets, being in the hospital environment inspired him and motivated him to one day want to be helping patients in a different way. And even though he barely spoke English, he persevered and followed his dream, and now hopes to get a nursing job at NYU. Knowing first-hand how difficult it was for him to not speak English, he now wants to work with underserved populations and Spanish speaking patients so that he can communicate with them in their native language. The Talmud teaches, “One should always be flexible as a reed and not as unyielding as a cedar.” It is easy to feel stuck by our circumstances or limited in our situations, but when like Baez, we use everything as a chance for learning and growth, then as a reed we can accomplish things that for the cedar would never have seen possible.
Header Photo: Frank Baez
