From the Editor
Once Again, Good Triumphs and Kindness Inspires
We struggled to find words while watching the news reports of the capture of Saddam Hussein last month. "Sad." "No, pathetic." Those were the descriptions we used. Soldiers who led the capture expressed similar thoughts:
"There it was. It wasn’t the blaze of glory we expected," commented one soldier.
"It was surprising. We didn’t expect to find him where we found him," said another.
Quoting a recent Newsweek article, "Gone were the fleets of Mercedeses, the battalions of secret police, the gold-encrusted palaces." I couldn’t help but think, "All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again" For all of his money and power, Saddam had resorted to hiding in a hole like a rat. For someone who terrorized the world, we didn’t expect to find him such a pathetic coward.
Because we’re fortunate to live in America, we can’t comprehend the day-to-day existence of those living in war-torn countries. It sickens me to read of the atrocities inflicted on other humans. I can’t imagine life being reduced to those basic needs of hunger, warmth, and shelter. I can’t comprehend the pain and heartache of those watching their loved ones hurt and even killed. The story of Saddam’s capture is a reminder that evil doesn’t win in the end, that money doesn’t buy happiness, that as easily as power is won, it can be lost, and what goes around comes around.
So I cherished recent unexpected examples of innocent love and compassion, of decency and human kindness.
Volunteering to ring The Salvation Army bells during the holidays is a tradition my daughter loves. It began as a family outing years ago, as she and her father donned red Santa hats. Last month, we again filled a stocking with candy, donned our red hats, and began our bell ringing. I’ve been very intrigued by the number of young people who go out of their way to contribute to The Salvation Army kettle. One young girl, I guessed about age eight, came up to our kettle and began rummaging through her purse. She carefully pulled out her wallet, pushed up her eyeglasses, and pulled out a crisp one-dollar bill. With beaming eyes and a big smile, she said, "This is my own money I’m giving." As we thanked her, I looked up at her mother standing close by, obviously proud of her daughter. I nodded and said, "Thank you." I was thankful to witness hearts full of compassion and knew that whatever disappointments that mother and child may face, they’ll accept them with grace and dignity. Heartwarming.
The shy Asian girl speaks broken English-in fact, she carries her translation book to every high school class. She takes special note of the customs of our country and tries to select clothes and hairstyles like those of her classmates. Always a smile on her face, she would ask what my daughter did that weekend and compliment her on an article of clothing. So, with a big smile, she presented a hand-made Valentine to my daughter, saying thank you for being her friend. Beautiful.
A child shall lead them….In this world of confusion, I’ll look for examples of love, peace, compassion, and forgiveness. I’ll share those stories, as they provide hope for our future.
Happy Valentine’s Day 2004. TPW
"There it was. It wasn’t the blaze of glory we expected," commented one soldier.
"It was surprising. We didn’t expect to find him where we found him," said another.
Quoting a recent Newsweek article, "Gone were the fleets of Mercedeses, the battalions of secret police, the gold-encrusted palaces." I couldn’t help but think, "All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again" For all of his money and power, Saddam had resorted to hiding in a hole like a rat. For someone who terrorized the world, we didn’t expect to find him such a pathetic coward.
Because we’re fortunate to live in America, we can’t comprehend the day-to-day existence of those living in war-torn countries. It sickens me to read of the atrocities inflicted on other humans. I can’t imagine life being reduced to those basic needs of hunger, warmth, and shelter. I can’t comprehend the pain and heartache of those watching their loved ones hurt and even killed. The story of Saddam’s capture is a reminder that evil doesn’t win in the end, that money doesn’t buy happiness, that as easily as power is won, it can be lost, and what goes around comes around.
So I cherished recent unexpected examples of innocent love and compassion, of decency and human kindness.
Volunteering to ring The Salvation Army bells during the holidays is a tradition my daughter loves. It began as a family outing years ago, as she and her father donned red Santa hats. Last month, we again filled a stocking with candy, donned our red hats, and began our bell ringing. I’ve been very intrigued by the number of young people who go out of their way to contribute to The Salvation Army kettle. One young girl, I guessed about age eight, came up to our kettle and began rummaging through her purse. She carefully pulled out her wallet, pushed up her eyeglasses, and pulled out a crisp one-dollar bill. With beaming eyes and a big smile, she said, "This is my own money I’m giving." As we thanked her, I looked up at her mother standing close by, obviously proud of her daughter. I nodded and said, "Thank you." I was thankful to witness hearts full of compassion and knew that whatever disappointments that mother and child may face, they’ll accept them with grace and dignity. Heartwarming.
The shy Asian girl speaks broken English-in fact, she carries her translation book to every high school class. She takes special note of the customs of our country and tries to select clothes and hairstyles like those of her classmates. Always a smile on her face, she would ask what my daughter did that weekend and compliment her on an article of clothing. So, with a big smile, she presented a hand-made Valentine to my daughter, saying thank you for being her friend. Beautiful.
A child shall lead them….In this world of confusion, I’ll look for examples of love, peace, compassion, and forgiveness. I’ll share those stories, as they provide hope for our future.
Happy Valentine’s Day 2004. TPW