A LETTER TO MY GRANDCHILDREN

As this letter is being read, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on what is being said, every word. This is written to you from the deepest depths of my heart and soul, and each and every word is said in love and concern for each of you and your future.

All of you can be leaders, but you have to want and desire to do this, and then act upon it.  However, along with being a leader, there is a certain amount of responsibility and humbleness that must show through; the two go hand in hand. 

Always listen to your parents because they will not steer you in the wrong direction.   Regardless of whether you think they don’t know what they are talking about or not, remember, they too were children that had to grow up just like you are doing now, and they have the experience and knowledge of life’s possible consequences that you have not yet acquired.

It is not important to be important in life, but it is important to be important with God if you want to get to heaven.  Life is just a short time on earth, a journey in which we know not what the future holds for us, or how long a future we have, but we can strive to make our future hold for us everlasting life, and that should be your continual focus here on earth. 

Talk to God on a daily basis; He loves his children so very much and wants to hear from you, often. Don’t let a day go by without taking a few minutes out to at least give God a “Hello” and a “Thank You” for all the blessings he has blessed you with, and continually blesses you, whether you are aware of these blessings or not.  I used to think that if people would take a notepad and just write down all the blessings they have been given, they would be so surprised.  God does take care of Hs children in numerous ways.  

I used to have my little talk with God when I was driving by myself in the car; it was quiet and I could think and I could pray with a focused mind.  That was just the way I did it.  I might talk to God more than once this way but that was just me. And the last thing I did before I shut my eyes at night to go to sleep was say a thankful prayer for all the wonderful blessings we have been given day in and day out and to keep me focused on my real life’s journey.  Always remember that with God on your side, you will have all the help you need in life to get to Heaven.

There are so many other things I would like to say to you but most importantly, ALWAYS keep God in your life, remember who you are, remember your upbringing, always be compassionate toward others, have a good outlook on life,  display a good attitude towards others, learn contentment in any given situation, and always let your light shine.  As these words are spoken to you, let then sink into your mind, make a mark on your heart and become embedded in your soul so that these thoughts will be with you during the rest of your life here on earth.  And always remember that your life here on earth is really not about you but about God.  I want to see all of you when your soul is received into the great brilliance of the Heavenly Father and we meet again on eternity's side of life.

Again to all of you, I love you all so very, very much.

Grandma

Written by Ruth Miller

Copyright:  December, 2011

FONDEST MEMORIES

(This is a walk down memory lane . . .
a poem about departed souls for which
 we still hold  great memories in a
special place in our hearts)

This is written in different segments,

For different people in all walks of life.

The Son and the Father

As I sat by my window, taking in the view,

My mind drifted back to a time spent with you.

I remembered your tossing the football to me,

To see just how high I could reach it with ease.

We played like this for quite a long time,

Our bodies floating in rhythm and rhyme.

Those times were great but so long ago,

I remember them as they were yesterday though.

My mind wanders further to other days we shared,

When fishing together, ‘though fishes we never snared.

We joked to each other about how we would starve,

If it was up to you to bring fish home to carve.

We never had much fishing luck,

But it sure was fun just trying such!

You were there for me on 24-hour call,

And I knew you were there for the long haul.

You were my mentor all of my life,

 You guided me from the dark and into the light.

I can never repay you for what you have done,

I am just so proud that I was your son.

My mind wanders to that fateful day,

When something went wrong and you went away.

But we know not when our timeline will cease,

Or when we’ll be call to rest in peace.

And this was just your time.

The Daughter and the Mother

I had some time to think today about my Mom and me,

When Dad and brother went out to fish and we went out to eat.

A special time for both of us, we shared each other’s fun,

We laughed and joked and giggled so at each other’s funny puns.

This time was very special to both of us, and I miss this oh so much,

But I am blessed to have shared our lives with such a tender touch.

I know you work so hard with me to shape my future life,

You wanted me so happy with becoming someone’s wife.

I learned so very much from you throughout my younger years,

I thank you Mom for being you as I see you through my tears.

And when I found the perfect man, the one to share my life,

You were there to see me wed and become his loving wife.

You smiled at me so beautiful, with tears just almost there,

You were so happy for me that day as you viewed his loving care.

My mind wanders back to that fateful day,

When something went wrong and you went away.

But we know not when our timeline will cease,

Or when we’ll be call to rest in peace.

And this was just your time.

The Husband and Wife

We were meant to be as life plays out,

Fate threw us together . . . without any doubt

Our paths crisscrossed from the time we were born,

Delivered by the same doctor one bright morn.

We lived in the same area for years at a time,

But it just wasn’t meant for our lives yet to entwine.

We each moved to the same area within several weeks,

But it just wasn’t yet the right time for us to meet.

Then one day, we came face to face,

Fate had put us here, at this time in this place.

Strong bonds were growing within our hearts,

And the love of all loves was beginning to start.

We became as one and had a son,

The real love in life had just begun.

We then were blessed with a little girl,

She knew how to make those heart strings twirl.

Life went on and throughout all of these years,

We were blessed with grandchildren, such sweet little dears.

Now we are just us, as we started out years ago,

It is just the two of us . . . free to come and go.

We loved to garden and while dreaming one early fall day,

I stopped to think of us in “our together days”.

As gardeners we spent time sowing seed everywhere,

Our garden was so full . . . no room there to spare.

We treasured our time while tilling the soil,

The harvest we reaped was so worth all our toil.

My mind wanders back to that fateful day,

When something went wrong and you went away.

But we know not when our timeline will cease,

Or when we’ll be call to rest in peace.

And this was just your time.

The Unborn Child

We had a little soul we’re molding,

In our hearts and soul and mind,

Should it be, this place she’s holding,

Is only for a little time?

This little soul needs so much help,

Much more than we can give,

Her life is up to You dear Lord,

Will she even get to live?

If it be Your will to hold her,

In Your arms so soft and strong,

Then we’ll send her on her journey,

Where little souls like hers belong.

My mind wanders back to that fateful day,

When something went wrong and you went away.

But we know not when our timeline will cease,

Or when we’ll be call to rest in peace.

And this was just your time.

The Love of My Life

I met you on the pathway of a trail I usually walked,

I’d never seen you here before, but we slowly walked and talked.

There was so much in common, ‘twas hard for us to believe,

That somehow our lives entwined on this dirty trail of leaves.

For several months we shared our lives, so beautiful was this,

We thought we had forever, when something suddenly went amiss.

We had not tied the knot you know,

Our life had  yet so far to go.

His  life was quickly fading and I knew our time was short,

But we both knew that God above had put you in His court.

My heart was broken on that day. . . we had so much to share,

And life with him was beautiful  . . . memories will always be there.

My mind wanders back to that fateful day,

When something went wrong and you went away.

But we know not when our timeline will cease,

Or when we’ll be call to rest in peace.

And this was just your time.

Life Itself

While here on this earth, we love and we laugh,

Enjoying the present and reliving the past.

God gave us a memory to recall events of old

To enjoy each time a story is told.

There is a special place in all of our hearts,

For those who once were so dear.

Each little memory is there . . . just inside

To relive again . . . year after year.

Special Days Throughout the Year

I recall the first New Years without my big brother,

And no one could replace him . . . there was none other.

The first Valentine’s Day without my soul mate,

I loved all the memories . . . all were first rate.

Then came Easter and how the kids dressed,

I remembered my Mollie so pretty and blessed.

Memorial Day was so sad, as I had lost my Bill,

While guiding his platoon as they trudged up that hill.

The Fourth of July . . . firecrackers all over the sky,

I thought of my son, for this country he died.

Labor Day brings about memories of Dad,

And now his chair sits empty, so sad.

Veteran’s Day, such patriotism abounds,

Our freedom lives on from souls buried in the ground.

Thanksgiving Day comes with blessings galore,

We’re mindful of all things given us . . . now and before

Christmas comes and mixed emotions arise,

We think of the star once high in the skies.

We miss all our loved ones now on eternity’s shore,

And memories abound in our hearts evermore.

Summary

As I think about life and all that has passed,

And how many memories I now have amassed,

And all of the sad times, we’ve tucked far away,

As we know our loved ones would want it that way.

We love and we hold onto those memories so tight,

They help stem the flow of tears in the night.

But deep down we know, all our loved ones would say,

“Please, please to everyone, no tears today.

And just one more thing . . . to all of you here,

Your life must go on through the rest of your years,

Don’t let my departure alter your days,

For my time has ended and that is His way.”

A Memorial of Memorials

© November 22, 2011

By:  Ruth Miller

My Mom

Who is my Mom I ask of myself?

Who always kept me in a good state of health?

Who listened to me when questions I had?

Who chastened me when I was a bit bad?

Who patiently taught me the “rules of the road”?

Who kept me in tow so my wild oats weren’t sowed?

Who patiently watched me when I was a child?

Who patiently calmed me when I wanted to get wild?

Who stressed to me over and over again,

If you can’t say anything good, say nothing then.

Who cried in the night when our Dad was no more?

Her heart had to be jagged, shredded and sore.

Who managed to care for us day in and day out?

Four children at home with no Dad there about.

His death was so sudden, surprised were we all,

A heavy burden upon her to carry the ball.

It was not so easy, as a home mom for years,

She went back to school and began a career.

For a woman her age seemed an impossible task,

She completed her courses and so well did she pass.

She entered the work field in the late years of her life,

So her family would not be in need or in strife.

Now as mother, I can understand her need.

To sacrifice a lot for her children indeed.

Mother’s are like this, the strong, silent ones,

But they manage to complete what needs to be done.

Sometimes life puts too many rocks in our way,

And sometimes makes for us a gray, cloudy day.

Mothers get anxious when their children are sad,

They worry about them, just more than a tad.

Thank goodness for God who put mothers on this earth!

For without them the world would not be much worth.

Written by Ruth Miller

© May, 2009

A Prayer for Unity

Heavenly Father, this world is in such need of unity, and especially us, as members of the Body, the Church, for which your son gave His life. 

There are many deceptions with which we are continually faced, and on occasion, find ourselves in their grasp; we pray that you will deliver us from these as they are subtly entwined by Satan into our lives. 

We pray that we may be one in you, and one with each other, and that we are continually endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

All Christians are to be one in the Spirit and it is our duty to observe and keep that unity.  We need to recognize unity as real, and act upon it without a sectarian spirit.

 

Bless us with the spirit of unity with all of God’s people, wherever we may dwell.  Let our unity be like the precious oil used to anoint Aaron which flowed from his head to his beard and to the edge of his garments . . . let our unity flow from us completely, as the anointing oil flowed, and was a symbol of God’s blessing.  We know that when God’s people live together in unity, they experience God’s blessings.

 

Bless us richly with the desire to be in unison with all of God’s people, and especially with our brethren locally.  Give us the strength and desire to pull together when situations arise wherein we need each other’s strength, be it in times of sorrow, sadness, despair, tragedy or so many other things that would tend to pull us asunder. 

Instill in us a forgiving spirit so that unity may abound, and guide us that we may be a positive example and strength to all who need our love and support. 

Yes dear Lord, please bless us all abundantly with the spirit of unity in everything we do throughout our lives, but especially a unity of love between our brethren.  Amen.

Written by Ruth Miller

© October 2010

A Little Chat with God #11

(death for the Christian)

Good evening God:

            Today I want to talk to you about “death for the Christian.”  This is a real in-depth phrase for me to consider, but it is something every Christian has to deal with, in one form or another, at any given time.  I have lost several very dear friends over the last several months, more so than usual, but then I am getting older as is everyone else and death seems to be lurking right around the corner for many people in my age bracket.

            Death, when the word comes to one’s mind, immediately conjures up a picture of sadness, morbidity and finality; the sound of it even carries a dirge tone.  However, death is something we will all face at some point in our life  . . . this is a “rite of passage” so to speak, for every human.  No one escapes physical death and no one escapes spiritual death. 

My main focus is on the older generation who has had ample time to prepare themselves for this passage although I realize that in life the young are taken as well as the old. You are no respecter of persons.  In fact, in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 10:17, it is stated, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”  And again in the New Testament in Acts 10:34-35, you again state via the words of your Apostle, Peter, “. . . In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”  What a wonderful thought that we will be accepted by you at death if we do your will.  That is a promise to all mankind, but such is almost totally lost within the realm of our culture and society that we live in today.

Death signifies the end of someone’s timeline on this side of eternity.  Everyone has a timeline and no one knows when his or her timeline will be completed.  Life is so fragile and so short; we need to consider this on a daily basis because we do not know if it will be our last day to live or not.  In James 4:14 it states, “. . . For what is life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”  This is so true when you go back in time, if we had a tangible time line in front of us, even if just to the founding day of our country. 

How many people have been born and entered into death . . . their life is like a fleeting blip on a radar screen, there for a second in time and then gone for eternity. We live in a “time” society; we are geared to the idea of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years and centuries, as you provided for us as stated in Gen 1.  But in eternity there is no time as we know time.  When you consider the true meaning of the word “forever”, it is difficult to comprehend its fullest extent with our finite minds.

           

Death to the Christian, a person who has followed your word to the best of his or her ability, is a joy in some aspect and a sorrow in another.  People will question this and say, “Where is the joy in death?” or “How can anyone be joyful about the loss of another?” or “Why does God allow this to happen?” which is many times expressed at the death of a child, teenager or very young adult.  These are questions from people who do not have the benefit of your word, your teaching and your promise that the faithful have.  They lack understanding that followers of your will have, that is, a promise of living eternally with you in heaven, a place of love like we have never known, a place where darkness is banished forever, a place of beauty with peace, a place of no pain and hardship, a place where there is no sorrow and no tears . . . this is eternity, heaven, the home of the soul.

Christians live their entire life towards attaining this goal . . . living in eternity with you and your angels . . . when death appears and their timeline has ceased.  Christians strive every day of their life to avoid the pitfalls that Satan hurls in their faces day in and day out.  We are continuously tempted with the pride of life, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and other worldly desires throughout life here on earth that necessitates our having to continually be on guard so that we do not fall prey to these untoward desires.  Satan wanders to and fro on this earth doing his best to tempt us to sin . . . Satan does not care about us or our soul other than to conquer us as another one of his trophies. 

On the flip side of the coin, you love us, you care for us, you know our every desire before we do, you created us in your image and likeness and it is your express desire and fervent hope that we live a life according to your teachings that we may live in eternity with you.  You have given us the written word which sets forth the type of life we are to lead; you spared nothing to make sure we had your word, even to the point of giving your son Jesus to die such a horrifying and humiliating death on the cross, to pay the price, that we have access to you, the Father, and to an eternity in heaven when our life is completed.  It is you who wants to be able to say to us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

People will say living the life of a Christian is too hard, too restrictive and too demeaning.  Those of that mindset are too involved with the worldly pleasures of our time.  They want to party, they want to get drunk, they want to do drugs, they have no concern for life of another, they want to be free to live as they see fit which most of the time is not even close to the standard of a good life, even by the world.  Oh yes, they have fun, fun, fun; they tend to have no accountability of their actions, they think the world revolves around them and at times, it is these people that seem to have everything . . . well everything on earth that is.  They have no vision of eternity, only the here and now.  Their idea of life is do it while you can regardless of whether it is right or wrong, regardless of who you step on to do it and regardless of what it does to your own life.  These people have no love for another, no compassion, no humility, no concern except for themselves and I tell you, these people will have a sad revelation when they face you at judgment.  As the hymn says, “there’s a sad day coming” and this WILL come and there will be a great moaning and gnashing of teeth right along with it.

Christians live with a clear-cut vision for their future. They hear and heed your calling after studying diligently and having come to an understanding of your word; they know the truth and are highly motivated to follow this truth throughout the rest of their life.  They KNOW and UNDERSTAND what their reward will be and they long to reach this goal.  They also know what their destiny will be if they do not follow, now that they know your pathway. 

I do not believe there is the first soul in the entire universe that really wants to go to hell; most people do not believe there is a place called hell.  They think a just god, as you are, will not condemn one of your own creations to an eternity of horror. There are religions today that feel they can ‘pray themselves out of the fires of hell’ before the day of judgment but little do they realize that you have referred to hell so many times in your word, and it is a real place, if they would just read your word. Hell is referred to as a place in Matthew 5:22 so it must exist if you mentioned it in your own words.  In Matthew 18:9 you mention “hell fire” which puts “hell” in the category of existing with fire.  In Luke 12:5 you say  . . . “But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”  Hell is definitely an existing place!  In James 3:6 you talk about the uncontrollable tongue that has been set on fire by hell, again denoting hell is existing and with fire.  In Revelation 19:20 you refer to a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  Again in Revelation 20:10 the devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone with the false prophets and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  How can people even consider the idea there is no hell?  Satan is really having a heyday with these people’s minds and souls, and only too late will they realize their folly.

Death in and of itself in the physical realm (depending on the circumstances) is usually painful, not only to the person dying but to the people who love him and are by his bedside as he slips into the valley of the shadow of death.  Hearts are broken to shards, tears come in unending streams, one’s soul is pierced to the core with the loss of a loved one, and life is changed forever for those remaining. Memories to be made are halted, but memories already made are shared now in our minds and conversation with others.  The physical body is mourned according to the culture and then buried in the ground . . . we were made from dust and now are returned to the dust of the earth.

Death in the spiritual sense is beautiful to those who have trod the pathway you provided for us in the written word, the Bible.  For the Christian who has worked hard all of his life to obey your teachings, set good examples, taught others your way . . . one who has foregone the frivolities, power and wealth of life, the way of fun and games which lead to the darker, dangerous side of life . . . he has, now in death, won the race and earned the crown of life, the ultimate reward, eternity with you in heaven.  There is such joy and peace . . . which others could not begin to understand . . . for those left on this side of heaven, to know they have a loved one in heaven with you, even though, physically, they carry a burden and broken heart as they struggle with life, being now alone. 

But, every Christian knows death will come . . . and they know if they have walked in your footsteps, they will be able to see their faithful loved ones again when their timeline has ended and they too make their way through the valley of the shadow of death and  be united with you, our heavenly father.

While death itself is certain, the time and way of death is not.  And the occurrence of death is a sad and joyous occasion entwined when viewing a Christian’s life and in the godly manner his life was lived.  If I had to put it in words, I would have to say that life really is a dress rehearsal for the play called “Heaven” and I think we had better get the script right on the first go around, because when death cloaks us in its power over life, all chances for heaven cease and we will be judged on how we lived our life on earth.

Yes, I believe a Christian’s death signifies the beginning of a much more beautiful relationship with you in eternity, the likes of which we can only barely begin to imagine, but a place in which I hope to hear you gently but lovingly say to me one day, “welcome thou faithful servant; enter into the joys of my kingdom.”

Thank you again for letting me get some of this off my chest.  This has really been on my mind since the occurrence of several deaths recently and I just had to let you know how I saw this in my mind.  Thanks for being so patient.  Until the next time . . .

Written by Ruth Miller

©  September 15, 2011

A Little Chat with God #8

 (heroes/mentors)

Good Morning God:

Today I want to discuss with You another common word, “hero” or mentors.  So many times we talk about our “hero”, and while I think it is good for people to have someone to look up to, or to follow as an example, this “title” is beginning to carry a slightly twisted connotation now than in the past.  It is such a shame that in our society today, that we don’t look to the heroes of biblical time and use them as our heroes or mentors.

Nevertheless, and unfortunately, our children look up to the current sports figures and celebrities of our time as their heroes, but yet, look at the example some of these popular figures are setting!  Some are charged with DUI, they have anger management problems, they beat up their wife, the get involved with drugs . . . that type of person is NOT a person to look up to; they are NOT examples of the term hero  and are not a mentor by any stretch of the imagination.

Our movie stars fall in the same category as they get involved with multiple marriages, alcoholism and drugs just for starters.  I think they feel that if one marriage doesn’t work out another one will and we find there is no commitment here (of course a lot of people share that same opinion).  Marriage is a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman in its initial concept from the beginning when God created Adam and Eve in the garden, but our society has gone way to the left with marriage to0 (but I will discuss this with you at a later time).

I wonder if these elite people (of all categories) who know that people see what they do and know they have “admirers”, but yet they continue to do “their own thing” because they like it and it satisfies their immediate desires, and never give thought as to whether it is right or wrong . . . do they even consider how their actions are perceived by the younger generation? Do they even care as long as they are so popular and in such demand?  You and I both know the answer to this is a resounding NO!  

In fact, in my personal opinion, they thrive on the attention they are getting from the public and would do most anything to keep their popularity in force.  Our young people see these lives paraded in movies, magazines, TV shows and commercials, and unless they have Godly parents to instruct them in right and wrong at a young age, our children (our future generation of leaders) will be of the opinion that if such a lifestyle is acceptable for the celebrities and high profile leaders to live by and get praised for, it will also be acceptable for them as well, and this is where trouble starts.

Celebrities and people of the upper echelon, I do not care who they are or how prominent they are . . . they DO have a responsibility to act appropriately, setting the acceptable role models for our children.  But what I am seeing over and over again is that these famous people continue in this atrocious lifestyle of greed, dishonesty, power and sometimes even murder, to accomplish their personal goals.  And sadder yet is that they get away with it on so many occasions.  It is like their conscience has been seared with the seal of evil.  Then, when they finally get caught up in their own entanglement of lies and other misdeeds, they hire the best lawyer to “get them off”.  An indirect side effect of their flagrant and provocative lifestyle, for those who looked up to them as “heroes” or “mentors” is that they hurt so many young and innocent people without the first thought to the possible unhealthy contributing role they have played in some youngster’s life.

And while we have great leaders from the beginning of our country’s drafting of the Constitution, even their personal lives were blemished with drunkenness and adultery.  Yet they were great men in the sight of all and even centuries later, we honor them.  I think it is almost a given (note I said almost here) that in so many instances of a rise to power, you will gradually see corruption subtly creeping into their personal values system.  Don’t get me wrong . . . we do have heroes whose selfless acts line the pages of our bibles and history books.  These are the men and women of great courage, valor, intelligence and honor to whom we owe our freedoms and our current abundant style of life today, but when you research their personal life, it is fraught with misdeeds of an unsuitable nature.

Even in our legends and mythology history, we thought of a hero as one with sometimes “divine” ancestry who had great strength and courage and who was celebrated for his bold exploits and favored by the gods.  Coined in English in 1387, hero comes from the Greek language and literally means “protector” or defender”.  It is also thought to be a cognate of the Latin verb servo “to preserve whole” and of the Avestan verb haurvaiti “to keep vigil over”.   Regardless of how this word came about, today its connotation to most of us is to describe someone (male or female) who, in the face of danger and adversity, or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice for some greater good of an individual or of all humanity,  The hero is often simply an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, who, despite the odds being stacked against him, typically prevails in the end; a person noted for feats of courage or nobility or purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his life.

In biblical days, Moses was a hero to the Israelite nation, but even he was guilty of murdering an Egyptian.  David was noted as being a man after Your own heart, but he committed adultery and murder. There are numerous distinguished kings with great leadership strength who followed Your ways and are said to be “heroes” in their time right along with those following them who did evil.  There were Judges who were heroes during their rule as well.  We also have the prophets, martyrs and apostles who were heroes for religious freedom and truth.

The more I think about this word  hero,  the more I begin to realize that a hero to us is not always someone who lives by the rules and leads an exemplary life, but yet one who has done something very courageous, perhaps even putting his own life in harm’s way to save another.  Even the heroes of old had their sins to contend with but here is where the difference therein lies . . . Moses and David were sorry about their misdeeds and turned their life around with repentance, Godly repentance.  In that respect they showed great character to face their wrong and to do the best to make things right in the future.  Our celebrity or high profile people many think as heroes of today may say “I am sorry” but 99% of the time this is to save face in the eyes of the public or they are simply sorry that they got caught!

And then we have our heroes of war . . . those bold and brave individuals who fight for our freedom day in and day out, some who die at a very tender age  an unwanted death at the hands of a torturous enemy in remote areas of the world.  If it were not for these brave soldiers, we would not be living in the free society we have today.

We have other heroes in all areas of law enforcement, security and firefighting, who continually put themselves between us and danger, and have given their lives so that others may live,

We have countless other people who are the unsung heroes of our time that go undercover and remain nameless and unrecognized as to the role they played in a covert operation that resulted in resolution of a serious breach of freedom.

There are everyday people that are not “titled” who do extraordinary deeds when the time presents itself, doing so without a moment’s hesitation or thought to the danger they may be putting themselves in, to save another.

I just realized I am writing this on the eve of the 10^th anniversary of the 9-1-1 attack on New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. There were so many unknown heroes on that horrendous day of our history.  This was a day, for those who were among the living and saw all the unbearable scenes of death and destruction, that has been seared into our memories . . . a day we will never forget.

As I sit here and chat with you, I realize that a hero is a valiant, strong, caring, considerate and compassionate individual who will not hesitate for a second to jump out of his comfort zone to help another in dire straits, regardless of the circumstances, and without concern for his own personal safety.  The personal life, whether it is good or bad, is not a factor within the true meaning, when someone reacts with such haste to immediately come to the aid of others,

And now that I have given such consideration to this subject, I think I have about exhausted my thoughts on heroes/mentors, but this has been good for me to pursue this line of thinking.  I have come to fully realize that a hero/mentor is not the “near perfect person who has done something courageous” but rather a courageous person who has done something near perfect for someone else, without regard for his own safety.

It is so good to chat with You on so many things as I have in the past. I always end up being more knowledgeable than when I first started.  I know you are so patient with me and for that I am so thankful.  Until next time . . .

Written by

Ruth Miller

© 9/10/11