Tag Archives: courage

Words I (Try to) Live By

As dramas unfold in life,

We seek guidance wherever it may be found,

God, government, friends, family,

Selectively choosing that which we find amiable,

While discarding what is distasteful,

This grants us no benefit,

Except to the feeble mind which construed.

At times we must exhibit courage through self-sacrifice,,

Enduring the consequences of our thoughts and deeds,

In order to reap our just reward,

In this truth, I strive to live my life,

To curb unkind thoughts,

Withhold unhelpful actions,

And consider every man my equal and friend.

~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~

Making of a Man

By D. R. DiFrancesco

 ~

You embody courage,

Something I never truly had,

Setting foot into uncharted waters,

Leaving the familiar behind,

Jumping headlong into another world.

 ~

You embody honor,

Something that I couldn’t teach you,

Living by a code,

One that must have been etched in your soul,

Immortalizing those that came before you,

 ~

You embody faith,

Something I should have instilled in you,

But I was not strong enough,

Yet you epitomize it in spite of me,

By entrusting your life to those around you.

 ~

You embody integrity,

Something I never knew how to give,

Still it was born into you,

A birthright gifted to those most deserving,

To be shared with those most in need.

 ~

You embody love,

Something I was never good at showing,

Your compassion and sensitivity,

Given freely to those in want,

From a heart that’s kind.

 ~

You embody all of these things,

Something I could never do,

Courage, honor, faith, integrity and love,

They made you the man you are,

And readies you for the man you will become.

Those Left At Home

By D. DiFrancesco

Are they ok?
Where are they?
Questions asked daily by parents of children
But they aren’t really children any more
Only to us.

A letter home
The occasional telephone call
Pictures and postcards
Somehow it isn’t enough to quell the fears
While serving in a land so far away.

We can’t hold them
We can’t advise them
We can’t comfort them
All we can do is worry about them
So Many more questions than answers.

The military says they will take care of them
They say they will try to bring them home safe
“Try” doesn’t make this any easier
But they can’t make such promises
No one can see into the future.

Parcels are sent regardless of cost
Trying to provide some comfort to them
Little things to remind them of home
A little thing to make us feel useful
Yet it doesn’t change anything.

This is what they chose to do
We swell with pride at the thought
We fly our flags and display our yellow ribbons
Small signs to the rest of the world of the their sacrifice
And our sacrifice.

They are a gift
Given to all of us to cherish
They pay the price for our freedom
They weren’t asked to, they weren’t told to
They give because it is their destiny.

Remember these heros in your prayers
Because you know them or someone like them
And because they deserve it and have earned it
This is the very least we can do
Don’t let their sacrifices be for naught.

The telephone rings
Our hearts skip a beat
Hello, is answered with an endless silence
Angst gives way to elation
Hi…Mom…Dad, its me.