I had the great fortune of meeting Ann several years ago. You know how this goes "oh, I think there's someone you should meet ...." This is sometimes just an exercise, a rotation ... some strung-together set of perceived interests by the mutual contact, not always fruitful.
In this case, however, fruitful. My partner in Freedom Week (anti) crime, Ann, has been one of the key influences in my life over the last several years. This is a woman who has sacrificed much for something she believes in, wholesale. It has cost her a lot, in the economies of location, career, finances, proximity to family, leisure time. To others, it doesn't come across as sacrifice; it's so a part of what she believes in that it never seems to be a second thought.
Meet her one day - she'll tell you the story of why she's so convicted about the horror of human trafficking, and why other things in her life - things that might seem important in our culture of amassing - seem to carry less weight when faced with this global and local greater tragedy and its vast need.
She is one of the most kind, lovely, sweet, and warm people you will ever know. She's also a smarty and has a great vision. Freedom Week is all hers - a dynamic and practical concept of coalescing many great New York City organizations that are all doing something distinct to stand up against human trafficking; a week of interesting and compelling events that spread the word, share the messages of the important work being undertaken by these great organizations, and create channels to get involved. Ok, that was a bit of a plug, but truly, it's all Ann and I wanted to highlight her beautiful vision.
She is truly an inspiration to me, in her positioning her life to face squarely toward something about which she is so convicted that everything else diminishes in light of the greater cause.
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