(NOTE: I often use this double reminder below to remind each of us of the deeper underpinnings of our sacred remembrances - external as well as internal in their manifestation - being both temporal and eternal, corporal and spiritual.)
Lest We Forget. Lest We Forget.
Peace, I salute you.
Today is commemorated Veteran's Day in the USA and Armistice Day in Europe, including Australia, New Zealand and others.
It is a day of remembrance; a solemn day, a blessed day, a day of days. It is a day of common military remembrances and is therefore, a day of peace.
My fellow Filipino brothers and sisters of the Promise, I know for a fact we do not commemorate November 11 here in the Philippines but we should at least try to learn to understand what makes this day valuable to the sacred remembrances of many nations - for we are part of just one family.
In doing this, we are not only being generous - to ourselves and to our other kinder nations - we are being responsible - for ourselves and for our other kindred nations.
- selah -
Therefore, I write this here today to formally and officially remind us that, however dark the past may have been for all our nations - without exception, we belong to just one family.
Indeed, the past has been terrible and dark: For the spirit of War has deceived us all.
The truth is that all our nations, however great or small and however diverse our distinctions, belong to only one true belonging - so let us remember this today - that we are truly only one global community and let us try to meaningfully commemorate our peace with each other as nations - dreaming together this time.
Let us remember that our Philippines is - and shall forever remain - integral to this one family of nations - represented by our United Nations institution.
Let us say, "I remember you, my brother, I remember you, my sister - mabuhay!"
Let us say, "I remember, I remember."
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Shifting Paradigms -
When we talk about remembrance we essentially speak about the substance of our inspiration.
This is why we should be wary of evil inspiration because the source of all evil inspiration is false remembrance.
You only have to shift your focus to see that the night sky is so full of stars...
(Photo courtesy of Harmony Lovelife and Haragan Makamandag - Go 1ID 35IB!)
Our brave soldiers - who can bear not to love them...
Despite all the controversy (and these days it seems controversy is everywhere), in the darkness, above the fleeting clouds, they are there -
standing steadfastly,
preserving our best military traditions,
shimmering with virtue and valor,
ever ready, ever faithful,
ever hopeful for better, kinder days,
guarding our better tomorrows -
Therefore, I do not choose to believe in controversy.
However deep the night goes, I choose to believe in you
(for I believe in Justice and the good fight)
I choose to believe in our better selves -
and as sure as I live and breathe today,
the morning will surely come
for our beloved Land of the Morning.
Go team AFP - go PA - mabuhay!
---<--@
You only have to shift your focus to see that the night sky is so full of stars...
Often, when all that we care to remember
is how huge the darkness and how frail and tiny the light,
we weep bitterly unto despair
and completely forget
which one is pure substance
and which one is pure illusion.
Be inspired about the right things and they will produce in you, the right things.
Be inspired about the wrong things and they will produce in you, the wrong things.
So do good and abhor evil by doing good. Do not be by evil inspired.
For even if you fight evil through its own evil inspiration in yourself, it shall eventually consume you.
It is not the severity of Justice but the certainty of Justice that deters good people from becoming less virtuous than they should and evil people from becoming more criminal than they deserve.
---<--@
Love your Country.
Your Country is the land where your parents sleep,
where is spoken that language
in which the chosen of your heart, blushing,
whispered the first word of love;
it is the home that God has given you
that by striving to perfect yourselves therein
you may prepare to ascend to Him.
- Giuseppe Mazzini
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Mabuhay po tayong lahat! Salaam. Shalom. Peace. God bless us all.
...the brightness of thy Banner undiminished in triumph waves, the glory of thy stars and sun are lights that shall ne'er fade...
P.S.
Today I also commemorate 2 years of recovery. I am so glad to say, this is a battle I now know I can win. I thank each of you for your prayers and your support! (You all know who you are.)