Summer Series Top Ten: The Choice to Love - Sylvia Graf

You have $80 dollars in your pocket and two suitcases. and you’re ready to take on whatever comes your way, or so you thought. At 18 you’re ready to spread your wings and try something new. Before you left your mother handed you a name on a slip of paper, a relative you’ve never met. You board a plane to a place you’ve never been before.

When Silvia Graf left her home country of Germany to begin a life in the San Francisco Bay Area, she could not know what was ahead, and yet with each bump in the road she grew stronger, turning her attention to the needs of others. A victim of domestic violence, Sylvia would not let those challenges deter her. She adopted children from the foster care system, volunteered with incarcerated youth and aided families with neurodiverse children. “Love is a choice,” she says and through a lifetime of service she shows us what it means to make the choice to love.

As you listen to this episode, consider:

  • When have I taken risks in my life?

  • How have taking those risks offered me opportunities to grow?

  • What lessons have I learned from those experiences?

You can listen to Sylvia’s episode here.