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Quote of the Day: Facing Adversity
“The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” — Ulysses S. Grant
Throughout his life, U.S. Grant had his share of adversity. Through most of it—his sad performance as a farmer, fighting the rumors of his drinking, his frustration of having to work with inept generals during the Civil War—he had so many people who stuck by him. In fact, President Lincoln, in spite of his moments of doubt, knew that Grant would see the country through the War. And he did.
Today, we see so very many people struggling with adversity. Parents who are fighting for their children to be able to attend school in-person and who seek out others of like mind; small business owners whose customers stuck by them in an effort to help them through financial hardship and impossible odds for survival; everyday people who manage to find connection with others in spite of the isolation being forced upon them.
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With the adversity that we all must face, you would hope that the federal government would not make the situation even worse. But it has.
It has taken away the jobs of those who worked on the Keystone Pipeline.
It has ignored rioting in the street.
It continues to cave to teachers’ unions that refuse to teach our children.
It has created a disaster at the border that causes suffering for the bordering states and law enforcement.
It tries to bribe us with funds that are supposed to be for Covid relief but are meant to satisfy their own agenda.
It continues to try to manacle small businesses in their efforts to survive.
The government is not our partner in finding our way through these troubled times; instead, they are antagonists, only concerned with destroying all the accomplishments of Donald Trump and completing their own agenda.
Citizens be damned.
So let’s take the time to thank those who stick with us, those who see us through the tough times and remind us that we are cared for and loved. They are the ones who help us face adversity.
Those people are our everyday heroes.
Published in Culture
Thanks, Susan! Great post, and wise to boot. The friends who stick with us through tough times are indeed the best.
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This is the Quote of the Day. Our sign-up sheet for April is here and there are several days still available. We welcome new participants and new members to Ricochet to share their favorite quotations.
Another ongoing project to encourage new voices is our Group Writing Project. April’s theme is ‘April’s Showers Bring….‘ If you’re looking to share your own thoughts rather than those of others, please sign up for Group Writing too!
Great poster, @rushbabe49. We benefit greatly when we have people to support us through adversity, such as government overreach, but then we must take action! Strength in numbers!
Courtesy of Joe at Politically Incorrect Humor.
Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other.
— General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman.
Another great quote, @percival. Grant did drink, although it’s unclear whether he was a drunk. But Sherman was definitely crazy!
It’s generally thought now that he suffered a nervous breakdown when he was given responsibility to defend the Ohio River with nowhere near enough troops or supplies to do the job. The rumors of Grant’s drinking had followed him out of and back into the Army. He was accused of missing the first day of Shiloh due to drink. There is more evidence of Russian collusion than there is for that, but some things never change.
When Grant’s star was rising some DC desk bound types tried to undercut his success in the presence of Lincoln by remarking he was known to drink heavily – to which Lincoln reportedly replied “find out what whiskey he drinks and send all of my generals a case”. Probably apocryphal and based on a similar famous instance when some one tried to undercut General Wolfe by telling King George that Wolfe was mad- and the King replied “ I hope he will bite my other generals”.