Surviving the Unimaginable: The Story of Survival Across Generations

Journey through an extraordinary tale of survival, resilience, and legacy with bestselling author Roni Robbins as she shares the remarkable story behind "Hands of Gold." Based on her grandfather's recovered audio tapes, this award-winning book chronicles one man's incredible journey across continents, surviving tuberculosis, workplace violence, and devastating personal losses while building a new life in America.

Discover how her grandfather's experiences with antisemitism, financial hardship, and health challenges mirror modern-day struggles, offering timeless lessons in self-reliance and perseverance. Through intimate family stories and historical events, Robbins reveals how spiritual strength, mental fortitude, and physical endurance combined to forge an unbreakable spirit of survival.

Whether you're interested in historical survival stories or seeking inspiration for your own preparedness journey, this episode offers powerful insights into how past generations' resilience can inform our approach to modern challenges. Learn how one family's story of determination, faith, and the power of legacy continues to resonate in today's uncertain world.

Join us at Preparedness Pro in our Facebook Group or on our blog where you'll find peaceful, practical preparedness advice every day of the week!

Transcript

Surviving the Unimaginable: A Story of Survival Across Generations
Kellene: [00:00:00] Welcome to Preparedness Pro, where being prepared isn't about fear. It's about freedom. I'm your host, Kellene, and every episode we explore the peaceful principles of preparedness and self reliance. No gloom, no doom, just practical solutions for everyday living that help you become more independent and prepared for whatever life brings your way.
From kitchen skills to financial wisdom, emergency planning to sustainable living. We're building a community of capable, confident people who understand that preparedness isn't about preparing for the worst. It's about being free to live your best life regardless of what comes your way. So whether you're starting your preparedness journey or you're a seasoned pro, you're in the right place.
Welcome.
Hi, it's Kellene the Preparedness Pro. I've got a great episode for you today. You're going to be on the edge of your seat with this story today. We've got Roni Robbins, who is a best selling author of a book called Hands of Gold. This book and Roni are amazing. [00:01:00] Roni is obviously award winning novel.
with this. , she capitalizes on her nearly four decades as a published writer, a staff reporter, primarily a journalist. She's a freelancer for National Regional Online Publications. She's written for Florida Today, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Forbes, New York Daily, WebMD, and Healthline. She is the author of Hands of Gold, in which won the 2023 International Book Award for Multicultural Fiction, and also the 2023 Global Book Awards for the Gold Medal for Biographical Survival.
The novel was also a finalist in the 2024 American Legacy Awards. And also , it was a quarter finalist for historical fiction and the Amazon breakthrough novel award contest, which is a big deal considering how many, , books that there are in competition with that. So let's give a warm welcome to [00:02:00] Roni.
, Roni, thank you so much for joining me today. 
Roni: for the opportunity to 
Kellene: Well, so what I was intrigued about with your book is obviously the fact that it's a story of your grandfather, you did take some literary license. And I wanted to first establish for our listeners that .
It was based on some tapes, some cassette tapes as a raw record of his life. What was it like to listen to those tapes? How did they impact you personally? 
Roni: So, it was interesting to listen to my grandfather's voice. It was a little sad. Obviously, he had already passed away. But you know, I got to hear his voice so it felt I may cry here, but it felt like he was there again with me and sharing a story that he had never shared before, you know, in totality.
So we heard bits and pieces of his life story. [00:03:00] And I always thought it was interesting, but I didn't totally pay attention. But when I was left the cassette tapes after he had passed, I realized there was so much more to his life than I could have ever known as his grandchild. So I felt like that with my background, I should put it out there.
Well, I took a chance of putting it out there. I thought it was beyond what I could write up in a, I wrote it for a column at first, for publication, but then I decided there was much more to the story that I thought should be put out there and , I think he intended it to maybe be put out there.
 So it was, it was very fulfilling, but it was very sad also. 
Kellene: Well, it sounds like your risk paid off that it's been widely well received. Your grandfather's story in hands of gold spans decades and continents and unimaginable challenges which we'll get into. What [00:04:00] qualities of self reliance and grit do you think helped him survive such turbulent times?
Roni: Well, he was a farmer. 
I think that really played a big role In what in being a hardworking person, understanding, get up early work till you drop. , and just, that he was used to being out in the elements, and he was used to being on his feet all day. So, I think that those. those characteristics , that he developed in his profession, in his job, , to, that, that the family were all farmers.
I think that really set him up for, for that survival that he was going to have to endure later on. So I do, That's, that's my take on it. 
Kellene: So before we get into some of the specifics, like the health issues and the financial struggles and such, how would you summarize? Sam's story. 
Roni: So he was just an ordinary farmhand [00:05:00] who traveled across countries to find a better life for himself in America.
And along the way, he contracted tuberculosis, which is still the largest infectious disease killer in the world. And , he had to deal with that. He was told he was terminal at 26 and he lived till 86. So he was a clinical trial patient for streptomycin, which is still used today or paved the way for the medicines.
that are used today to treat the illness. , he was involved in a gun in a workplace shooting spree while rehabilitating from tuberculosis. He had five Children. He lost one. He lost all of his family in the Holocaust. Most of his family in the Holocaust. So there's that story. That's part of this. , his, wife was the breadwinner at a time when women were not breadwinners, and she had to take care of the family when he was in and out of the hospital.
 A story of survival. , and like you said, grit, that we can all [00:06:00] learn from, I think. And there's other aspects of the story too. But those are some of the highlights. 
Kellene: So he faced tuberculosis, antisemitism, big time financial struggles, yet he never seemed to stop moving forward. What do you think drove him to persevere?
Was it his family? Was it an inner belief system? What do you think it was? 
Roni: So he was determined to get to America. His siblings, some of his siblings had already gone to, America. And when I say most of his family died in the Holocaust, he had 11, siblings. So some of them did make it to America and he wanted to follow that path.
 He did not want to be a farmer. He wanted an escape from that world. He wanted an escape from being told what to do by his older brother. And he wanted to find whatever it was in America that drew his siblings there, [00:07:00] and he was determined to get there. So there really wasn't any alternative for him.
 That was his goal. He didn't quite make it his first attempt out. So, you know, try and try again. He came back, he revisited what he needed to do and he went out again and then he was successful, but he had. An inner strength, and a dream, a goal, and he was not going to stop.
He was young enough that he was not going to stop until he achieved it. 
Kellene: So you describe him as a, self centered hustler, early in the book, a character where there's might, might come to love to hate. What did personal evolution teach you about resilience and self reliance over time?
Roni: So I would say in my journey, I have mirrored his journey somewhat in that it took me some 20 years to find a professional publisher for this novel.
, I could have self published all the way along. But I chose not to, [00:08:00] I wanted, to be professionally published as I was already professionally published as a journalist for so many years. So there was persistence there. You know, along my way, I have been told journalism is dead. There have been times it did feel like journalism was dead.
 We seem to have, you know, reinvented ourselves through online media. So we're not quite dead in the water. Everyone wants to be a journalist. So we've got a lot of competition out there that might, we might not have had, you know, originally. But I have stayed in journalism the whole time. , I've had some offers to go into public relations, never quite worked out.
God's path for me was determined. , and I have stayed the course. So, in terms of that resilience of being able to take, rejection , and not always achieve what I wanted, when I wanted, and having to [00:09:00] be. persistent and stay the course. I think that's similar. Also when things are thrown at you, what are you going to do about it?
You just got to move forward. So, I think that that's, what he had. And that's what my mom seems to have. And that's what I seem to have. So maybe it's genetic. 
Kellene: Well, it sounds like it's good genes. Now the book begins and ends with him in a nursing home, uncovering a long buried treasure. What does this treasure symbolize about perhaps survival or legacy and the power of storytelling?
Roni: So let me just clarify, it does start and end in a nursing home, but in between there's a lot of adventures and near death experiences that he had. So, , the, the loss Of an heirloom and the rediscovering of the heirloom, had to do with the Holocaust during the Holocaust.
 When people knew that they were going to be taken away, they buried [00:10:00] their jewelry and, anything worth a lot. Some people buried their, valuables. And that is what happened. , I don't want to give away too much because it's tied in with the title, but, This so readers will have to read the book to find out what this hidden treasure was and how it ended up in.
 My grandfather's hands. He exchanged it for his freedom for his, passage for money. Um, and, it was given to him by his grandmother. But he traded it because he was foolish and it ended up back with the family. They buried it. And it ended up, going through the process to get back to him in my grandfather in America when those that, one of his brothers, , brought it back to him.
So, that, I may have given away a little of it, , but that's weaved, there's a lot that's weaved through this novel. The love story too, you [00:11:00] know, , that Sam and Hannah had for each other. The family life is weaved through throughout too. And as far as the legacy, you know, we do treasure, things that are passed down to us, heirlooms.
I do too. This is also a hands of gold. It's a little hands of gold. And it was given to me by my grandmother. That same grandmother. So it's tied in, you know, from generation to generation. We believe in that. And I think we really, I think everyone values anything that came from your ancestors and means something to you that you still, can wear, display, use and think of those that came before you.
Kellene: Yeah, I have to agree with you. I can think of some things that I love from my mother and my grandfather so Sam's journey includes a very tragic workplace accident that essentially haunts him. How did this event shape his ability to overcome adversity [00:12:00] while still maintaining his morale and emotional compass?
Roni: So things happen in life and, , my grandfather experienced both a workplace shooting and an accidental killing. The workplace shooting was intentional. He, this is part of it is a true story because it was written up in the New York Daily News where, , ironically, I ended up freelancing for them years later, just didn't even know about this story and then found this, this article that had been written about him.
He spoke to the gunman, so he has what we say is chutzpah bravery, courage, , and at that point he was told he was terminal and he's still surviving and he lost all his family in the Holocaust. So he's still standing. What does he have to lose? Basically, he could have died at any point. So he took a chance, I guess, and spoke to the gunman.
Now in my story, he actually saved people. So that can haunt you [00:13:00] going through the Holocaust can haunt you. And then, we call them survivors. You know, people go through stuff. There's trauma in people's lives, whatever it might be. And there was also a, accidental killing, and he had to deal with that in his mind.
So, how do you persevere? You just do. You figure out a way. I mean, you can dwell on all the bad things that have happened to you. All the bad situations you find yourself in. Or you can move on and he chose to move on. I find that my mom chooses to move on. They just had flooding in Asheville. She had COVID and, and poison Ivy at the same time.
What are you going to do is her reaction and she giggles through it. So I don't know how she does it. I don't know how people do it. Many of us just whine when we get any one of those things. But again, you have to. What's your alternative? Right? [00:14:00] 
Kellene: Right. So he struggles. The struggles that I am aware of, mirror some challenges that we face today, such as, displacement, financial hardship, and definitely uncertainty.
How do you think that his mindset and approach to life can inspire people to be more self reliant specifically?
Roni: So I think that my grandfather knew his strengths. He knew his strengths. His strengths were working with his hands. His strengths were that he was able to find the right people along the way or know who the right people were along his journey to turn to, when he needed help. So for him, he turned to the Jewish community.
 For me, You know, something goes on. I might turn to a woman faster than I would turn to a man, a woman with kids. , I think you just have to be intuitive [00:15:00] about, you know, survival. I think we all today are very conscious of, Shooting, you know, I know I am maybe, you know, I'm aware that that my synagogue can be targeted and I'm not sure at my synagogue.
So I have to be wary of. Something that just doesn't seem right. And he had that ability. And I think that when the going gets tough, you got to depend on yourself. , there's nobody that's going to help you, but you, so you gotta, you know, think fast on your feet. And, you know, if it doesn't work out the first time.
Try and try again, I think are some of the messages that my grandfather, relayed, that don't let obstacles get in your way and, you know, to find the right people to help you. And, I think it's okay to ask for help. They were on welfare for a while. But, you know, in the end, the goal was to be [00:16:00] able to support the family with their own through their own means.
So I think we just shouldn't give up so easily. I think people give up so easily. But there are 2 types of people, those where the going gets tough, they get going. And those that just you know, just leave. Yeah, they just can't function. So, 
Kellene: so what, what role do you think that his spiritual preparedness played in his survival?
Roni: Obviously, he was a learned man. He studied, he practiced his faith. He believed in God. So I think he probably prayed a lot and, you know, was guided by a higher force, in the world. To accomplish his, his goals. But I do believe he prayed, he prayed that he [00:17:00] could make it through.
He prayed that , that the rain would stay away or the cold would stay away, or he would find a way to make his journey happen. And that, and there were some spiritual parts of the book where, , he came back from a coma, so that, you know, seeing the light, seeing something being pulled back.
, so I believe he probably valued his life. Much more than some of us who take for granted that we have good health, that we are blessed with financial means to make our dreams happen. Or, you know, so I can't speak to everyone's struggles, but he depended on God. I think I depend on God.
Okay. So to a certain extent, we know that there's somebody who's You know, pulling the strings, but you still got to make it happen. You know, you got to buy the lottery ticket if you want to win, right? You have to put in the effort too.
Kellene: So I teach the [00:18:00] 10 principles of preparedness and everything that I do and spiritual being the number one, mental being number two.
And it seems like his, his mental strength was in spades. I mean, how his mindset and his approach to life and then physical is the third principle. I find it interesting because Sam's immigrant journey involved walking thousands of miles to escape danger. What parallels do you see in today's world?
I mean, I guess what I'm really asking is how likely are, are people able to endure physically like your grandfather had to. 
Roni: So many of 
us have went through COVID.
 I, lost five pounds in a week, which is great, but not that way. You know, you don't want to do that. I, nothing tasted good. And then I must've taken too much zinc. And I, [00:19:00] fell. I won't tell you all the other details of that, but my blood sugar dropped. I fell. , I didn't hit my head, but I had to go to urgent care.
 I couldn't walk really well. I was by myself. I did call my husband, but I was able to get to urgent care by myself. Nothing was broken, thankfully. I didn't hit my head, like I said, but my back was messed up. My. Spine was probably messed up. , it was painful and I persevered because what's the alternative.
I want to be able to walk. I have work to do. You know, so my children are grown, so what, I don't know that they were home. COVID was hard. COVID was something we weren't used to. My grandfather being on his feet all day, he was used to being on his feet all day. But he pushed past the pain.
, he talks about pushing past the pain. You know, he took shoes, he took extra shoes, he took extra socks, he [00:20:00] took extra pants, , and , he slept in. Abandoned barns. He depended on the goodwill of strangers that he determined were I don't know exactly how he determined. I think maybe they might have given off, being Jewish or just, you know, like I said, maybe it was, they just seemed they were okay.
So he trusted and he did well, but being on his feet all day was something he was used to more than many others because he was out in the farm all day. Okay. So that he was able to persevere through the pain, push past the pain. 
Kellene: Yeah. Well, he lost a grown son to leukemia, as you mentioned, and then survived, what was deemed to be terminal TB, both devastating health challenges that he was exposed to in his life.
What role do you think that his mental strength played in overcoming? some of these greatest [00:21:00] hardships of grief. I mean, grieving his own life that he was told was going to be cut short, grieving the life of his grown son that he lost. 
Roni: He explains it in the novel that sometimes when you have a cupcake, the chocolate side, you might drop it and the chocolate side goes down, right?
So that's the end of the cupcake. And sometimes, two second rule, it lands. Right side up. And that was sort of his philosophy on, on life was there are good days and there are bad days, and you hope that there's more good days than bad days. And like I said, he was able, he had that kind of guilt.
About, you know, and he had to deal with everything that anyone else would have to deal with you with his family who all perished in the Holocaust. There, but for the grace of God, go I should he have done more? , why wouldn't they listen [00:22:00] to him? It could, you know, like it could have been him.
 He tried, you know, , and he had to live with the fact that he didn't maybe try hard enough. in terms of losing a grown son to leukemia. I don't know exactly how he, I didn't explore all his thoughts in the novel. Obviously he wishes that the child had made it through to his end. , it's not something that he wanted, you know, that anyone wants to do, bury a child.
It's not the way to go. He talks about that. But you know, we're supposed to live a long life there. They're supposed to live beyond us, our Children. So he did talk about that. , but as far as him, he was able to put it all into perspective that this was the plan somehow.
And what is, you know, how do we push past? So he grieved. And, , he moved on, but it was [00:23:00] always there. It was always there, you know, under the surface. And it is there at the beginning of the novel, for sure that his grown son never got to see him, you know, at that point when he was, , when he was also, anticipating that his wife, would die, meaning the main character's wife would die.
So , the son couldn't be there when his mother died, , or when she was, you know, ill. It's not the way that it's supposed to be, but it is the way that this happened and he had to deal with it.
Kellene: Now, this book actually tackles antisemitism, a topic that is still relevant today, as you know, how did his experiences influence his ability to endure and adapt?
How do you adapt even in the face of hatred?
Roni: Well, so he didn't, he wasn't there during world war two, but he did see antisemitism in. In Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, where he was, the borders kept changing. So [00:24:00] he saw war, he saw Russia fighting. Which is cyclical and happening today, too. What's going on in Israel is a reminder that we think we've come a long way, but we haven't.
Hatred in the world exists. Anti Semitism has risen in my lifetime. I didn't grow up with it. I, maybe I didn't know it was there. , it was bubbling be under the surface of my life. I felt very blessed that I never had to experience it. But Israel, what's going on in Israel brought it home to me. I have seen where we have beefed up security at our synagogues.
 In our Jewish community, I am part of that security as, the first face that people see in my synagogue as I greet them. When they enter on our Sabbath. So I have been part of the security. Updates and I've trained a little bit to understand the mind [00:25:00] of a killer, which whoever wants to deal with that, I think schools have to deal with that.
You know, the school shootings, there was one yesterday, I believe. , so we are on constant state of alert because, you know, Bad people exist in the world. We hope that there are more good people than bad. But what he experienced maybe was brought home more in, you know, in more recent years, I think it's gotten worse to me.
 But I'm also older and can see it. So I don't know what he experienced was any different. But during the period that he was moving across countries, it was under the surface. to, because it was there. And like I said, he only turned to people he thought were safe, were Jewish. He knew he can count on his own community.
people that are like him. He followed them to their [00:26:00] synagogues to know who they were. Because they existed and he was aware how to find them.
Kellene: So let's switch gears here and talk about your writing of this story of survival because his story is a blend of truth and creative license like I mentioned before.
So how did you decide which parts of his life to embellish for the novel while staying true to his self reliant spirit?
Roni: There were about five, concepts that I tried to five fingers, five concepts. I always try to say that, you know, hands of gold. So, , the tuberculosis, the being told he was terminal and also being a clinical trial patient for an experimental treatment that's still used today.
There was the love they died to the date of each other. A year apart, love, romance, the strength of that relationship where she was the breadwinner, at a time when women were not. The Holocaust was a big part of the [00:27:00] story. Even though he didn't experience it, his family experienced it.
He had a brother who survived and came. And we talked about returning a heirloom. Then the workplace shooting spree, that's at least five. There's more, , but those are five things. There was also the, there was also the accident, the trolley accident. So, there's so many pieces of this novel.
 There were so many interesting things that I built the novel around that, , I don't know if I could narrow it to one, but I knew it started out with the romance. I thought it was romantic that, that they would, , as morbid as that is, that they would die on the same date of each other a year apart.
And it worked into the idea of one year of mourning after somebody in our religion dies, you do a year of mourning and it's marked in a symbolic way after that year. I'm doing it now for my [00:28:00] dad who passed this past year. So, I worked all that in. I worked in my, because I'm knowledgeable about my own Judaism, different spiritual parts, the sun setting, the Sabbath beginning, I made use of all of that , but those were some of the items that really sparked my interest.
in writing this and sharing it with the world and thinking that maybe they would Find some relevance to it, too 
Kellene: So why do you think that the hands of gold has resonated so deeply with readers? I mean, it's earned multiple awards. What do you think makes his story so universal?
Roni: I think anyone who struggled , I think people like to read about people who struggle because it makes their life look so easy.
And they can learn a lot from it and appreciate their own life and the blessings that they have. I think any ethnic families can relate to this story because, and [00:29:00] certainly any Jewish readers can relate to this story because my family is their family in different forms. They have somebody that reminds them of, Different characters.
They can pinpoint a character and say, Gosh, that's my Uncle Joe. Oh, my grandfather was just like that. , I think that it resonates with readers because of the history because we, appreciate learning about the past. And I think that they walk away, from the book touched, by the characters, they become part of my family, my family becomes part of their family in it when they're reading the book.
 They may walk away inspired. They should walk away inspired and appreciative of all that those who. went before us, developed in their life and how they paved the way for the freedoms, that we have today here, whether it's in America or just all the technological advances. None of that can [00:30:00] happen unless somebody before us, does the grunt work to make it happen.
So, uh, 
Kellene: well, that being said about having somebody go before us, you know, you're talking legacy. Now, did writing the hands of gold change your perspective on your own resilience?
Roni: I don't think while I was yes and no. Okay. So, I. Thought I had gotten some 200 rejections, but one day I counted them because I kept every little piece of paper. Because back then when I started, , it was, written. You sent your manuscript in an envelope and they wrote you back in a letter or an email.
I might've printed out the emails too, of rejection. So I counted and there were 50. That takes resilience to say next. , I only need one. Yes, I only I can. All right, fine. You're not interested. After a while. It was I was so used to a rejection that when the acceptance came, [00:31:00] I had to do a double take.
I almost read the note as a negative. And then I was like, wait, wait, you're not rejecting me, you know, so it took a while to accept that. , so the resilience is that. I pushed past the nose. I pushed past the fact that at any point I could self publish, but I wanted to get, you know, make it to the finish line in my opinion and get, weeded out, go through the slush pile, you know, make it through to, you know, and the awards.
 So that was my, resilience, but as far as legacy. You know, this is a legacy that I'm leaving my family, leaving my children, family that, , knew my grandfather, say I captured his story. They didn't know about all of this. They didn't know about the cassette tapes. I was one of the rare few that got those cassette tapes.
So it was all meant to be, in my opinion, That I should, you know, push [00:32:00] past and get to this finish line, and, and put it out there, I hope that I'm both, capturing his legacy and my legacy. , I think I'm known now as an author. I wasn't before. So, I was, you know, I was more, you know, the writer, now I'm more, , author .
So, you know, I've enhanced my legacy in this way. 
Kellene: Now, you've said that the book has relevance to current wars like Russia, Ukraine, and Israel, and Hamas. Can you expand upon that relevance?
Roni: So like I said , in the beginning of the book, when my grandfather was still in that in Europe, , the borders were changing. He was in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the borders kept changing. Czechoslovakia. Hungary. And then, you know, Russia was fighting with Ukraine. You know, all these areas became Ukraine and Russia was fighting and trying to get land.
And so the borders kept changing. , and so by the end where he [00:33:00] grew up was, is probably considered Ukraine now. And the same thing with my grandmother in Romania. All the borders kept changing, so that was what's going on, and now Russia and Ukraine are fighting again, , and then in terms of, Israel, well, the anti Semitism, the mini Holocaust that happened on October 7th, a year ago, 2023 room is a reminder of that same experience that people went through in the Holocaust that, , just hatred and killing for no reason, other than the fact that the people they are Jewish.
 So you can argue or, you know, understand it different ways. But for innocent, , children and families, , to be rounded up yet again, to be slaughtered, and when they're just trying to live their lives in peace, , now, you know, what's happened since then is all [00:34:00] unfortunate that it hasn't, that those hostages are still not returned.
, but those. Those Children are my Children. Those people are my people. So what went on in the Holocaust is, history as repeats itself in that way. T. B. Is still in the news. Like I said, we think Covid was so big. Yes, but and then T. B. Was always in the background. And now that Covid is on its way out or just, you know, under the surface, TB is still the largest infectious disease killer in the world.
, which, you know, may have taken a back seat for a while to COVID, but it was still there. So those, the workplace shooting are happening. You know, there's been workplace shootings. So yes, history is repeating itself and some of it, most of it is not good. , I wish I, there is a silver lining because there's always good people in the world.
Okay. So I [00:35:00] will, I don't want to leave it as all doom and gloom. History repeats itself in a good way. There's always heroes. There's always, people who try to save others, , and find your own heroes with, within this, what's going on in the world. Some people are happy, , about no politics. Some people are not.
So, you know, , you choose your own. You choose your own path, , you know, how you want to, your perspective. 
Kellene: Well, Roni, I've got two last questions for you. One, for people who might feel disconnected from their heritage or family history, how would you encourage them to seek out and share their own hands of gold moments?
Roni: I love that. 
 I can't tell people to be, to, you know, go to synagogue or go to church. I can't, everyone's got to find something. I think we all have family moments. , you know, if that's [00:36:00] Christmas, that's a spiritual moment. I think we have to find, you know, the meaning behind something that becomes commercial.
 I think right now is a good time to think about spirituality and what it means to believe in some in a higher power, that, Guides you. I think sometimes we need to turn to something, someone, we can depend on ourselves. Yes, but sometimes it's nice to think that there's something out there larger than ourselves guiding us.
But, you know, I think it all comes back to family. I think hands of gold, hands, nurturing others, um, finding your own gold, your own wealth , in the small blessings that you have, it doesn't have to be wealth. It can be. You know, a heart of gold. You can call it, hands of God, hands, hearts of gold.
It's been, , [00:37:00] misquoted as those ways, but in those ways, but I think it still works. You gotta find the spirituality. And you can, you don't have to call it spirituality. Maybe that's too godlike, maybe just call it memorable moments. , maybe it's appreciation for blessings. I hope that you find any of that in your life, in those small moments that we all experience.
So it doesn't have to be like seeing a rainbow or seeing a sunset or a birth of a baby. 
Kellene: As you reflect on your grandfather's story, this is our last question. What would you say is the single most powerful lesson that you believe it offers about survival and hope and resilience?
Roni: It has all of that. But the big, don't let obstacles get in your way of achieving your dream, I think is the larger lesson. , be persistent, be, [00:38:00] disciplined. Because you only have one life to live, as far as I know, , on earth anyway. And, I think that, you gotta make the most of the hand that's dealt to you.
So, I believe that, you know, that that's the biggest lesson that, that , he puts forth is never give up on yourself, never give up on your dreams. Thank you so much. Figure out a way to make all of that happen, , and keep pushing towards the finish line. So whatever that might be, whatever goal that may be, and then just to appreciate everything, appreciate your life.
You're here for a reason. What may figure out what that is , And let the world know it, know it in some way, I guess. Or even if it's just through your family, through the legacy that you leave your family, that's way more than one thing. I'm sorry. 
Kellene: Are you figuring out what your purpose is?
Roni: It's [00:39:00] clear. It's pretty clear. It's what, you know, I'm supposed to write. I enjoy writing. I've been doing it. You know, I've been having the opportunity. The signs seem to be pointing in that direction. I'm maybe supposed to write some, stories about my family, because I'm working on a book based on my dad's life.
 If I ever get time to do it, and if he ever allows me to, because I think he's guiding me to be too busy right now. But when the opportunity presents itself, I'm writing that book next. So, yeah, , that's my legacy, is whether, I didn't know it was going to be novels, but maybe that's it, my articles.
No, my path has been is clear and it hasn't really wavered too much. So 
Kellene: That's wonderful. Well, Roni. Thank you very much folks If you would like you can find hands of gold on amazon, again, Roni robbins That's [00:40:00] r o n i Roni robbins, and I hope that you'll enjoy the book as as i've been enjoying it Roni, thank you so much for your time today.
We hope that you have a wonderful new year and that all goes well for you in the future. Thank you. You too. Alrighty. Bye
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