Monday, August 30, 2021

The Power of the Written Word

The world right now is filled with the images of strife, of anguish, of sorrow, with words that tell the stories of heartbreak and suffering, all in the most extreme ways I will never know. At least, in ways I never hope to know. Just this morning I watched the video posted of the dignified transfer at Dover AFB of the bodies of those in our military who tragically lost their lives in the most recent Afghanistan suicide bombing. I'm not ashamed to admit I cried, so moved by the silent, graceful moves of those who carried those red, white, and blue-covered coffins, the silent crowd honoring them in the background, some in salute, others with their hands across their hearts. In moments such as this, I find there are no words, only emotions. And I felt so many of them surging at once as we exalted those who served valiantly, those who died heroically. 

I'm learning that these are conversations that are difficult to have with my children. How do I educate them without terrifying them? The awful truth is that even as a grown adult, these are things that terrify me. There's really no way around it, so I speak with deliberate and delicate words. And I turned to a quote from a book that I was able to take heart in. I so firmly believe in the power of the written word, and today, this brought some relief to my aching heart.

God bless all of you.



1 comment:

  1. I love this quote. Like Mr. Rogers's. Thank you for sharing. I must check out this book.

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