“No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of the night." ~ Elie Wiesel
I was pondering the person that I might quote on our website “thought for the day” and remembered one of my favorite authors, Elie Wiesel. He was one of the children of Auschwitz…one who survived that which is unimaginable to most all of us. The boy who witnessed the murder of his entire family lived to become the conscience of our remembrance. He was appointed chair of the Presidential commission on the Holocaust, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of achievement, and the Nobel Peace Prize. His emergence from the kingdom of the night has proved to be a guiding light for thousands of people over the years. So, my choice of subjects and quotations was, perhaps, more important today than others. How do we emerge from our own darkness, from our own kingdom of the night? Do we become beacons for others or do we transmit even more darkness? Do we offer gratitude or do we offer bitterness? We are wounded in our life’s journey.
It is impossible to live without such wounding. There is no way to avoid it. It is more obvious for some than others. Those who are victims of terrible abuse, horrific experiences and tragic loss are everywhere. But what about those who are not exposed to such things? We each suffer rejection, disappointment, sadness, grief, loneliness and fear. No one is unscathed. We must make a choice in dealing with our darkness. Our life lessons and experiences can be used as gifts that reflect the richness of living, gratitude for survival and thanksgiving for our many blessings. It is a choice to make. We can either be an inspiration or a discouragement to those we encounter. We can leave a legacy of wisdom and love or one of disillusionment and hatred.
