Sal's Reflections

I was thinking about how powerless Nelson Mandela was at one time. The future for he and his people seemed bleak. The same was true when Hitler conquered Europe, or when Ghandi and King assumed the posture of non violence. South Africa rid itself of Apartheid, the British Empire has significantly faded ,and here in our country we have made significant strides against racism. So when I feel a sense of hopelessness that powerful lobbies control our government I draw from the heroism and hope of those past days when the little people were oppressed and without a ray of influence. The time will come when those who control the country with their wealth will fade because the reality of a Democracy will sustain the beauty of the constitution despite the greed and lust for power.

It is more than remarkable that someone could be the target of unthinkable acts by a racist government and yet when it was his turn he chose reconciliation over revenge.Nelson Mandela like Ghandi,King and Frankl chose love over hate and portrayed the reality that love is more powerful than hate. Instead of the sword he offered the olive branch and avoided years of unnecessary killing. Most, if not all of us carry some sort of scars rom perceived ill treatment by others. They pale compared to the pain and suffering of Apartheid, but his life is a model for us to seek reconciliation rather than justification. The world has been blessed to witness the extraordinary courage and commitment of this rare and special person.

The past few weeks have seen friends die and I found out that John Plostnieks also passed away this week.. I knew John from Johnson and Johnson and he was a man of sterling character. If you opened the dictionary  to the word kindness you would see his face.A brilliant scientist, he was blessed with a dry sense of humor and a genuine concern for others.I never heard him utter an unkind word against anyone, and whenever his department was the target for criticism he would never respond in kind.John was always exceptionally kind to me, and I will miss his wisdom, insights and the beauty of his warm and loving heart. To Gunta his wife and children, I pray that the memories of this remarkable man will sustain them .

I am fully aware lately of how many other lives have connected to mine .There is a constant flow of memories that remind me that no one is an island.Special moments and experiences are relived with the realization that life is a series of  meaningful connections.Thousands of interchanges shape the vision of life and in my case most have been beyond the realm of wonderful.Many are still here and continue to shape the person I hope to be, while others are physically gone but continue to be in my heart and soul.

Every time you take the first step in a new venture there is often the fear of failure. The hesitancy is natural because the feelings that accompany the goal may be somewhat daunting. Pain is often the one reality that keeps dreams from becoming reality and so there is the possibility that the feelings are so strong that we abort the new path. At that moment it is worthwhile to delve into the pain of not only the possibility of failure but also the pain of not trying. So many worthwhile adventures are kept on the back burner because we never had the gumption to try. Pain is part of live, but so is the pleasure of living live more fully by making even the smallest dream a path to follow and achieve.

The joy of the family coming from many different points makes me realize the true blessings of this day.I wish that every person in the world could experience the beauty of being loved and cherished by others.Some believe that approaching the world with a loving heart is naive but for all who feel the warmth and beauty of this day the amen to this wonder is loud and clear.

As i sit around the fesive table this Thanksgiving I will feel the presence of two dear friends who died recently.Colleen and John were two parts of my life that brought warmth and love to my heart. They were completely different types of people, but both were sources of comfort and joy for many years. Colleen was shy and relatively quiet but had this endearing quality that made you feel that you were the most important person in the world. John on the other hand could charm the Devil himself and his smile and infectious laugh made you believe that life was good and worthwhile. They are physically gone but to me they are as present as the last time we spoke, and when the toasts begin their names will be the first that I salute.

Where does one begin to enumerate the blessings that have flowed through one’s life?In my case without any question the love and devotion of family is at the head of the list. But also there are the incredible friends that have been there for me in every instance of joy and sorrow.I have never really known hunger, or the lack of shelter and up to now have experienced excellent health.All of these lead me to believe that merely being thankful is not enough. I cannot take all these blessings for granted without accepting a responsibility to do whatever is within my power to provide these types of blessings for others. I am reminded of the words of one of my teachers years ago. “The road to eternal happiness is filled with good works.”

There are many families that have through the years experienced family members that have for many reasons broken away from their roots.There are always two sides to what caused the breech and as time goes on it is often more difficult to reconcile.From each perspective there are justifications for positions which now seem frozen in time.Thanksgiving is another opportunity to take a step toward reconciliation. It will require one party to take a risk, to reach out and try to once again connect. This may be met with silence or even a nuclear emotional response but life is too short to have serious unresolved situations with someone once loved and cherished. It takes courage to be the one who initiates the first move but there is at least the knowledge that they were willing to bury their pride for the hope that there would be reconciliation.

It is worthwhile to at least occasionally pause and be grateful for what I have. Early on it seems that there are so many desires and wishes to obtain certain objects or achievements that it is easy to ignore what one has.Sight,sound,the ability to walk and a host of other physical abilities are taken for granted as well as good housing, enough to eat and the basic requirements of normal life. What I perceive as normal may beyond the dreams and hopes of many, and so it is worthwhile to pause and be grateful for all the many wondrous gifts that are part of my daily life. Also with this awareness should come the realization that there is also an obligation to care about all those that are without the basics that make life worthwhile. Gratitude is the first step toward awareness which hopefully leads to my involvement to make the world better for others.