Thursday, March 03, 2005

Say What You Will About Churchill . . .

But this quotation is amazing:

"Let us be contented with what has happened to us and thankful for all we have been spared. Let us accept the natural order in which we move. Let us reconcile ourselves to the mysterious rhythm of our destinies, such as they must be in this world of space and time. Let us treasure our joys but not bewail our sorrows. The glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. Life is a whole, and good and ill must be accepted together. The journey has been enjoyable and well worth making--once. "
~Winston Churchill, "A Second Choice" from Thoughts and Adventures

Churchill made so much sense here. He wrote an essay about what he would do differently if he could live his life a second time. He listed what are historically considered his biggest mistakes, and even suggested that he should not have made them. Yet in the end he expressed in one simple paragraph, and perhaps merely one sentence, exactly the right response to the question of what to do different: nothing. Life is a "journey" that is "well worth making" and "well worth making" once.

4 comments:

Erin said...

Here, here, sister! :)

Erin said...

I'm back! I just wanted to point out that you have reached the utmost Hillsdalian point. You were homeschooled, you're a Poli-sci major, and now you like Dr. Arnn and Churchill. Seriously, Esther, you've been sucked in and brain washed! (hee heee, just kiddin').

Esther said...

But I'm hispanic!

Erin said...

Only partially, chica, but you're still white enough! :) (Gee, I'm glad you're not politically correct; otherwise, I could get arrested for a hate crime here.)