The world needs fighters and lovers. Masculine strength and feminine strength. Different but important. As men stay behind to fight and sacrifice their lives, mothers soldier on in a different way, holding their babies and protecting them as much as they can. Both trying to make it all ok, to whatever extent that they can, for their babies. Both parents creating as much stability as possible. Leaning on each other’s strength and love across the miles. A team, separate, but very much together, two hands holding the sun up, and catching it as it falls.
The sun is coming up with hope, and setting with finality behind them at the same time. They may never see each other again. The sun sets on their life before, and comes up on the new day they face. It is both the end and the beginning.
Children represent our present and our future. We protect them so that they may blossom into a new unforeseen day. We hold them, feed them, and heal their broken wings. We teach them to fly so that they may take flight. We catch them when they fall and encourage them to try again. We hope that they can rise above the ashes and weather the storm to make it up and away towards the light. They represent the future that we envisioned years ago for today that didn’t happen. We hope for that future for them to enjoy, that we may never see. We have so much hope for them.
May we all remember the strength of both hands. The fighter and the lover. Both doing what they need to do to be strong. Both fighting in their own ways to create a path to flight for those birds. May we all fight and love from every side of that horizon. As the sun rises and sets. As we face the beginning of a day and set a course of action, and as we sit at the end, comforting and contemplating.
The fighters cannot fight without the lovers to fight for. The lovers cannot support and love without the fighters holding the line. I honor this balance today. The balance of life. Stop, feel, support. Rise, fight, take action. Sunrise, sunset. Fly.