Sunday, September 11, 2005

faith, hope and courage

Today I'm going to light a candle, say a prayer, remember those who have moved on, and those who have been left behind. Shed more tears, the endless river of tears I have been crying these days. But I won't forget to smile at the beauty of the day. I won't hesitate to laugh with joyous abandon at any gift or opportunity the day provides. And I will not lie down, give up or die. I am a citizen of a great country full of great people. We may have lost our way sometimes, we may have fallen down, but we will never give into fear and we will never give up on the goodness in ourselves, in each other, in our brothers and sisters around the world.

I thought a light went out, but now the candle shines.
I thought my tears wouldn't stop, then I dried my eyes.
And after all of this, the truth that holds me here,
Is that this emptiness is something not to fear.
Yeah, I'll keep wondering how we know where we belong,
After all the journeys made, and the journeys yet to come.
When I feel like giving up instead of going on,
Somewhere in between.

~~~Mary Chapin Carpenter

I never want to forget the email Forrester Church told me about — sent by a doomed employee in the World Trade Center who, just before his life was over, wrote: "Thank you for being such a great friend."

I never want to forget the man and woman holding hands as they leap together to their death.

I never want to forget those firemen who just kept going up. They just kept going up.

And I never want to forget what Forrester said of this disaster — that the very worst of which human beings are capable can bring out the very best.

I've learned a few things in my 67 years. One thing I've learned is that the Kingdom of the Human Heart is large. In addition to hate, it contains courage. In response to the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, my parents' generation waged and won a great war, then came home to establish a more prosperous and just America. I inherited the benefits of their courage. So did you. The ordeal was great, but prevail they did. We will, too, if we rise to the spiritual and moral challenge of survival.

~~~ Bill Moyers

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

~~~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.

~~~Arthur Golden

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

~~~ Eleanor Roosevelt

This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.

~~~ Peace Pilgrim

No one's lost and no one's missing
No more parting just hugs and kissing
And all these stars are just for wishing
In my heaven

~~~ Mary Chapin Carpenter

May we all of us, in America and abroad, may we find some peace and comfort today. May we never lose our spirit and our faith and our hope for the future. We are all that we've got. But that could be everything we ever wanted and needed if we could just have a little faith in each other and a little courage to commit to it.
Posted by etherealfire :: 3:14 AM :: 3 Comments:

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