Hello, My Friends…My Brothers and My Sisters
It is usually my custom to begin each blog with a quote I find pertinent to an excerpt from “I’m Afraid.”
This is my weekly Monday blog. I wrote it yesterday after reflecting on the tragic events of 9/11/2001.
Today, I offer three relevant quotes from past blogs, and a poem from “I’m Afraid.”
There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope. – Baruch Spinoza
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. – Desmond Tutu
Patience is waiting.
Waiting creates a tunnel,
And places you inside.
The tunnel is dark and impenetrable,
And isolating.
You look, but cannot see,
You listen, but cannot hear.
You know where you are,
But you cannot understand why.
In the beginning, the tunnel is like a womb:
You feel safe, protected, and secure.
But, in time, you sense that you are not alone.
An intruder has invaded the tunnel;
An intruder, whose name is Fear.
He holds you hostage,
And makes you feel insecure.
No longer do you have any options,
No longer are you free to choose.
Fear is in control.
Endlessly you stare into the tunnel,
Searching for a way out.
Until you detect a
Pinhole, a flicker of light,
Like the flame of a candle burning
In the breeze,
In the night.
You move cautiously toward the light,
Careful not to awaken Fear,
Who sleeps by your side.
At the end of the tunnel is an opening,
A huge circle bathed in bright light.
Your pace quickens, your heart pounds.
But near the end of the tunnel,
Instinctively, you slow down.
Standing in the opening,
You fill your lungs with fresh sweet air.
You feel confident, secure.
In control.
Still, you look over your shoulder,
Still wary that Fear
Will suddenly appear.
Quickly, you must decide,
You’re free to choose:
The tunnel, or the light.
Can you decide?
Will you choose?
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Too many people lost their lives that fateful day: some unexpectedly, some willingly and valiantly.
We will forever hold these precious human beings in our minds and in our hearts.
And, then, there are the survivors – “the most beautiful people” – us.
I offer these thoughts for your consideration.
Welcome to my World!
The saga continues in my next blog.
Do Not Be Afraid!!!