The past two weeks have been a sad time. But if you look back across the landscape of our shared history, it’s reasonable to ask ourselves, when have we been free of worry or fear?
It is only in that knowledge that I take comfort.
Throughout primary and secondary school, there was only one subject that came easily to me. Unlike Math, French, and Science, History came naturally. When asked by adults and fellow students why that was, I explained, “These are the stories of real people. They lived at different times and faced different situations. But they had hopes, dreams, and disappointments, just as we do today.”
In the endless stream that is the history of generations, when has there not been a mixture of sad and happy times?
Wars, assassinations, racial hatred. In the U.S. Constitution, our founders wrote of forming “a more perfect union.” That work is never done.
Last week was a particularly sad chapter in our shared history. A pandemic. Financial uncertainty. And now, racial hatred has again virulently reared its ugly head.
But we also know that, when challenges arise, the will to overcome adversity becomes more determined.
Today’s dark days are a prelude to the brighter future that we will create together. History is the story of the wise and the foolish; the generous and the selfish; the loving and the cruel.
It’s the story of us.
Sadly, we don’t always like what we see.
But blessedly, in the long run, the best of who we are will step forward.
Here's to finding a better path in our shared journey,
—Martin
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