Never give up; you never know until you try.
Part of a student’s daily work in the GED class is to journal what he or she has worked on that day. To help the process, one of us instructors will write the date on the board at the front of the room, knowing that it’s very easy to forget the date. (Yes, we sometimes “cheat” by checking the date on the computer.)
Today, I had already erased the board when a student asked if we knew the date. Thinking maybe he meant that he didn’t know the date, I told him, but that wasn’t what he was asking. He restated, asking if we knew what that (the date) meant. When I said, “Pearl Harbor Day”, he smiled slightly and wrote his journal entry. He said nothing more and neither did I.
As anyone familiar with me knows, that is very unlike me. I’ve always got something to say, especially about something as important as the tragedy that occurred December 7, 1941. I could’ve said how much I appreciate the brave women and men who serve the United States in our military. I could’ve said that I feel a debt of gratitude to them and their families for their sacrifice. I could’ve said that that debt is magnified countless times for those who have given their lives or who live with lasting physical and emotional repercussions of their service. I didn’t, but I didn’t need to, because “R” and I had already discussed my views on military service when he joined the class. Upon learning of his past military service, I did what I make it a point to do when I meet a veteran—I thanked him for his service to our country.
I hope everyone in the States remembered today for what it was. It was the anniversary of one tragic event in a far-too-long list of tragic events in the history of our nation and the world. The idealist in me cringes that there is still so much poverty, bloodshed, and misery. The optimist holds onto the positives that are still all around. The Christian in me wants everyone to really understand and remember where the positives come from: a loving God Who gave Himself for us.
Remember. Be grateful.
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