Andrew Bienkowski grew up in Siberia, his family exiled by the Communist regime. In a life that began with nothing, living on soup made from discarded potato peelings, he learned that true wealth and happiness come from giving, and made his way observing the true value of gratitude, forgiveness, and understanding. With great humility and a smile, he weaves his plainspoken wisdom with stories of survival and relationship, and the reminder that the things that really matter are available to each of us, every hour of every day and, of course, even the darkest days have their treasures to offer. As Mr. Bienkowski explains, “It’s easy to be grateful for those things that are good. It’s the very difficult, painful, awful experiences that are probably the most valuable because they teach us the most important lessons.” He says, “We place too much emphasis in this culture on materialism, material possessions. When I look back on seventy-five years of my life, I can remember so many wealthy people who were very unhappy, and so many very poor people who were very happy.” Spend an hour with this simple, quietly joyful, peaceful man, and you’ll discover a renewed understanding of the beauty and bounty in your own life—just as it is.
