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October 2021
WHAT BEING A MILITARY SPOUSE TAUGHT ME Home Is Where I AmWith You
Along with learning to appreciate the culture of other countries, I’ve found that we come to cherish our own, as well. A proud military spouse for many years, I had the opportunity to live in different states and countries, including Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, England, Japan, and Korea. Moving around so much was exhausting and thrilling, but it wasn’t until I lived outside of the United States that I realized what people mean when they refer to our country as a melting pot — and I learned to value it. The term “melting pot” refers to the fusion of ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures present within our nation. Having lived overseas, I’ve come to understand that this type of society does not exist elsewhere. In other countries, such as Germany, you can look at someone and without even hearing them speak, know that they are German. In Ireland, everyone is Irish, and you can identify them right away. Even in England, it is obvious when someone is British. In Korea, it seems that most people marry within their borders. So many countries are homogeneous countries, and that makes the United States the minority in that aspect. A friend of mine from law school married a Korean woman, and when he traveled to Korea to meet her family, he packed the normal American attire: T-shirts, joggers, and everything comfy in his closet. He was a little culture shocked to find that all day, every day, her father was extremely polished and put together all of the time. When you marry into a different culture, these things make you chuckle. Speaking of Korea, having lived there, one custom particularly stood out to me, and to this day, it has carried over into my home a bit. In Korea, it is respectful to take your shoes off before going
inside. There is a little area by the front door, similar to a mud room, where you take your shoes off. I have to believe that this custom explains why their sock game is so strong in Korea. They have every type of sock imaginable: stripes, pop art, fun, professional, and more. One pair particularly stands out to me. While Donald Trump was running against Hilary Clinton, I saw a particular pair with Donald Trump’s face on it with his famous hair. The socks read, “We shall overcomb.” Living overseas, I started to see that within other countries, it is almost like an echo chamber. However, the United States has many echoes — it’s more of a boomerang chamber! We have so many differing cultures, beliefs, practices, and backgrounds to add to the way we think, operate, and make ultimate decisions. I appreciate that the United States is culturally rich in depth and variety. Here, it is like going to an ice cream shop that features the best of each flavor compared to other countries. Their ice cream shops only have the very best of chocolate, for example. And, there is no right or wrong way to feature ice cream — it’s just different. Being a military spouse, I gained the perspective of “home is where I amwith you.” So many of our clients live that life every single day because they do not get to go home, and having experienced this somewhat, I understand how culturally frustrating it can be. Every culture has its own way of functioning, and while it can be frustrating to be in a state of culture shock, we all just try to make the best of the opportunities in front of us. To all of those who are going through
a difficult transition or situation, whether you are a member of a military family or an individual within the U.S. going through the process of gaining citizenship and the future is undetermined, hang on and keep your head up — perseverance and patience work wonders.
“The United States has many echoes — it’s more of a boomerang chamber!”
–Hillary Walsh
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How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You Self-Help Books Can’t Do It All Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? GREATER EMPATHY When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. LESS STRESS AND BETTER SLEEP When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off. MORE COMFORTWITH UNCERTAINTY Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. GREATER HAPPINESS Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one
Right before COVID-19 struck, Karen Ruiz began working at New Frontier Immigration Law and never looked back. Before settling into her current position as Hillary’s executive assistant, Karen was a “do it all” employee with a wide range of tasks on her plate every day. She assisted reception with phone calls, collected payments in billing, translated during client consultations, and assisted in document translations — she was everywhere! Having had so many roles, Karen stated that she quickly learned just how valuable the core ethics and goals at New Frontier Immigration Law truly are. “When I first started working here, I didn’t really fully understand what I was getting myself into. I was an immigrant as a child, and I’m used to seeing my relatives struggle with not having the proper documentation to be here. It helps me understand them,” Karen explained. “Being a part of the team that takes the broken hearts of many and mends them back together as they overcome certain situations is extremely satisfying. New Frontier Immigration Law changes lives.” She continued, “When I used to translate for Hillary during client consultations, I had my eyes opened to the severity of some of the situations people are coming to us with. I am not a crier, but there are many situations that are very sad and tug at your heartstrings. To be able to make a difference in these people’s lives is a monumental thing for me.” “In my current role, I have to make sure that I am organized because if there is an oversight on my part, it affects the client directly. I take my job very seriously, and while it is stressful at times, the results at the end make all of it worth it,” Karen said. Karen is a mother to two teenagers and an older daughter. This year, her daughter made her a grandmother and Karen has really been enjoying her two-month-old grandson. In her free time, she loves spending time with her children and the new baby. “Sometimes I cannot believe that I am a grandmother. I just want to spend time with them all day long — it’s a beautiful thing,” Karen stated. We are extremely grateful for Karen, as her hard work and kind heart make New Frontier Immigration Law the right choice for many who are looking for their solution. As a part of the freedom team, Karen works to better the lives of others, one success at a time! The Spotlight Is on Karen Ruiz
survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives.
So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!
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Daniel Rivera Is in the Spotlight A CLIENT SUCCESS STORY
“Thanks to New Frontier Immigration Law, I am fulfilled,” Daniel Rivera proudly states. “I no longer fear being deported.”
Daniel Rivera’s story is captivating, and it is just one example of many of the ways in which New Frontier Immigration Law can help make a difference. Daniel, like others, previously worked with another immigration lawyer with no success in achieving results in his case. He had lost hope and was trying to just accept his fate and make the best of the situation. He feared not seeing his family and children again when Daniel stumbled upon New Frontier Immigration Law on Facebook and decided to contact us to see how we could help. That first step was a game-changer! “I am very happy because I now have my work permit, thank God!” Daniel exclaims. He stated that he feels very proud and is extremely grateful from the bottom of his heart to Hillary and her team, who made his dream a reality. Daniel is very glad he decided to try once more after the first lawyer was unable to assist. Because the New Frontier Immigration Law team looks at things a little differently than other lawyers, we were able to find success for Daniel. “From the first time I arrived at the office, I felt safe and special,” Daniel recalls. Daniel is now able to return to Mexico whenever he would like and spend time with his children and family, free of any worries. “It took a year, but it was well worth it,” Daniel says. Having the ability to change lives is the best part of our job and something we look forward to each and every day. Congratulations, Daniel!
Word Search
“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we ’ ll change the world.” –Jack Layton
BLACK COSTUME GHOST HALLOWEEN
HAUNTED MOON MYSTERY ORANGE
PARTY PUMPKIN SHADOWS SPOOKY
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INSIDE
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Home Is With You
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The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction
Employee Spotlight: Karen Ruiz
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Client Spotlight: Daniel Rivera
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Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece?
CornMazes Date Back to Ancient Greece? A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THIS WACKY FALL TRADITION
Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th-century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history. THE MINOTAUR AND THE MAZE Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed
and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among others” — but it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! GARDEN ART TO GET LOST IN Mazes formed from bushes began popping up European gardens in the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving. One famous example is the half-mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. THE CORN MAZE: AN AMERICAN INVENTION Garden mazes eventually hopped the pond to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com.
to slay the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked. This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth — according to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths
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