Those who have the least are often the best qualified to determine what means the most. Betty Smith, a Williamsburg native and longtime tenement resident, reflected on her upbringing in her 1943 semi-autobiographical bestseller “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” Smith’s novel explores the importance of tenacity and finding happiness amid hardship. This particular quote is spoken by Mary Rommely, the grandmother of Francie, the novel’s protagonist, as she discusses Francie’s aunts, who aren’t on speaking terms with one another. Mary’s comments offer a firm reminder that something as “simple” and “uncostly” as choosing to forgive someone else can yield a value that outweighs any material or financial prosperity. Whether it’s shown to a loved one, a stranger, or even oneself, forgiveness is a powerful tool at our disposal.

Carl Sagan was one of the greatest science communicators of the last century. A planetary scientist and astrophysicist, he had a gift for explaining complex scientific concepts to the general public. He was also acutely aware of humanity’s place in the universe. It was Sagan who suggested to NASA that the Voyager 1 space probe should turn its camera around to snap one last photo of Earth before it sped away into interstellar space, from a distance of 3.7 billion miles away. The resulting photo, which shows the Earth as a tiny speck against the vastness of space, is known as the “Pale Blue Dot.” The image had little scientific value, but its significance was profound: It gave humans a perspective of our world out there in the vast emptiness — and us, as Sagan put it, as “momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.” 

Helen Keller, born in 1880, was only 19 months old when she lost both her sight and her hearing. She likened her early years to being “at sea in a dense fog,” but everything changed on March 5, 1887, when Anne Sullivan arrived at her door. Sullivan, who was herself partially blind, was 20 years old when she was hired to teach Keller language, including reading and writing. The two women became lifelong friends and companions. With Sullivan at her side, Keller went on to write 14 books and hundreds of essays. She toured the world and became an acclaimed speaker, advocating for disability rights and many other causes throughout her life.