Bjcorbin's Blog

Today we said goodbye to our dearest Grandma Kate and in her honor I wanted to repost a couple of things that she helped inspire.

True Strength

(Inspired by the life of Kathryn Fowler)

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True strength does not intimidate

It does not act in fear

It does not draw attention to itself

And it does not fight for its position

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True strength serves without being served

It is the first to get up and the last to sit down

It only eats after everyone else is served

And it loves without regard for itself

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True strength is rare and beautiful and generally goes unnoticed

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The Silent Goodbye

(Ode to a Passing Generation)

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I’m not sure why I never noticed it

when I passed you on the street

But now that you’ve gathered together

I can see it in your collective stare

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You still have something to say

but there’s no one there to listen

You have been called “The Greatest Generation”

and I don’t doubt that it may be true

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You have known times of great sacrifice

and believed that the needs of the many outweighed those of the few

You fought wars in the hope of ending all war

and believed in giving more than you expected to receive

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You worked hard

You stuck together

You fought for freedom

You hoped for tomorrow

You stepped into the unknown

You did all that we could ask of you

except produce heirs who truly appreciate the value of their inheritance

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It is a perilous generation that spurns the wisdom of the past

and fails to recognize the founder of their feast

I come from such a generation

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It is a frivolous people who hold nothing sacred

save the pursuit of their own happiness

I come from such a people

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It is a vain man who believes that he can redefine truth

and control his own destiny

I have been such a man

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Each time that I walk by you

I notice that a few more of you are gone

And I can’t help but feel

that we are losing far more than we understand