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Quote of the Day: Dare and Endure
“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” — Winston Churchill
How many of us, if we had the choice, would want to live in another time, any other time, than 2023? I know—there have been many worse periods in our history, but I’ve never felt like I had to be on alert for the next travesty, the next blow, the next outrage, the next act of evil—like I have in the last couple of years. I remember when people would discount the premise that we are in a war; I don’t hear much of that anymore, even if you put aside the war in Ukraine. We are in a culture war that is outrageous, demanding, and exhausting. For my part, I’d sometimes like to find a cave (although I’d want it to have all the usual amenities) where I could curl up on a comfy sofa with a fantasy book and forget the outside world.
But no one of us who cares about our friends, families, and country has the luxury of finding the nearest cave or ignoring what is disintegrating around us. That’s why I think Churchill’s words are so profound.
We can’t just kick back and ignore the destruction and degradation around us. We have to summon an even deeper courage than we have ever mustered, and be willing to challenge those who are prepared to destroy our world for their own satisfaction. We must find the resources to sustain ourselves; that sustenance can often be found in the love of others, our beliefs and values, and our faiths. They must be forged into the marrow of our bones, strengthen our sinew, and fortify our resilience. We must provide ourselves with sustenance not only for the near future, but for the months and years ahead. Even if we won’t be present to witness what unfolds, we have a responsibility to lay the groundwork for the demanding times ahead.
Our children are depending on us.
Published in Group Writing
I am realistic to know that I really wouldn’t have wanted to live in another era. There are some years in our current era that I might want to redo with hindsight to better prepare for the present or to have “banked” experiences that now may be out of reach given where things seem to be heading. But “dare and endure” is timeless and never expires. If we have dared in the past there is no reason to stop daring. If we have had to endure in the past, it is not possible to now give up enduring. Knowing that this is our destiny helps fortify the needed resolve to dare and endure.
Wonderful observation! Yes, although I think I’m getting better at the process, in spite of my moments of struggle. Thanks, Rodin.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
— J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Love this, P! The difficulties should not wash out the opportunities. Thanks.
Greatest is never gained in comfort or meekness, but it can be easily lost there.
Indeed.