For me, it was the image of 3-year-old Aylan washed up on a Turkish beach that got my attention. Aylan and his family were fleeing Syria’s civil war. Desperate for safety and rejected for asylum in Canada, Aylan’s parents entrusted his life to a smuggler and an ill-equipped and overcrowded boat. Aylan, his brother, and mother all drowned. Only his father survived.

In the months that followed, a steady stream of news reports indicated the Syrian people were being subjected to daily bombings, ISIS brutality, and frightening levels of violence. At the same time, I noticed rhetoric, both in the U.S.A. and Europe, “disavowing” help for the world’s most vulnerable – innocent Syrian children and families trapped in hellish circumstances by poverty and politics. Yet, there was Christopher Catrambone, using his personal wealth to equip a rescue ship to pluck refugees out of the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2014, this effort has saved more than 12,000 lives at sea.

In my job as a corporate lawyer, I cultivate a culture of accountability and responsibility. “See something, say something” and “lead by example” are what I train my colleagues. These core beliefs follow me home long after the work day has ended. And while I am not in a position to personally finance a rescue ship, I cannot sit back and hope the suffering magically ends. This is why my family made the decision to sponsor a Syrian family. For three months, a family of six, with four boys ages 4-8, will live in my home with our family: myself, my husband, and our three small children.

With 11 people under one roof, life is suddenly very different. No more evenings spent leisurely drinking a glass of wine and browsing Pottery Barn catalogues after the kids are tucked in. We cook and eat meals together. We help our children with homework together. We do housework together. After the collective seven children are in bed, we sit and study English flashcards for hours. The phonetic illustration for the letter “I” is an igloo. For the letter “U” it is a unicorn. The mother types into Google translator, “Do Americans frequently talk about igloos and unicorns?” and we all erupt into laughter at the absurdity of it all. The family knows the road ahead is long. They are committed to learning English and are confident that with hard work and determination they can make a better life for their children. This is not a story unique to Syrians, this is the quintessential American story.

I share my experience with you for one singular reason. Just as Mr. Catrambone’s actions inspired me, I hope to inspire you. While resolving the issues creating the crisis may be out of our sphere of influence, our response to crisis is not. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You, my State Bar colleagues, are leaders. You have the power to influence.