University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

When I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 3 years ago, I started to think about the meaning of life in a different way. This occurred, in part, because I spent a lot of time reading books that recounted inspirational stories of overcoming great difficulties. For example, I read the very moving story of Joni Eareckson Tada who was paralyzed from the neck down following a diving accident. Within a very short period of time, her life changed from being very active to becoming totally dependent on other people. However, she did not let this stand in her way, and she learned how to paint, with only the use of her mouth. I have seen one of her beautiful paintings "Monarch," in which butterflies have to break out from cocoons in order to be transformed into beautiful creatures that are free to fly in the sky. I found her book very inspiring in that we all can be entrapped in miserable situations, but we each have the ability to become better and stronger persons with the love of God.