Freedom Prayer

By: Cynthia Litman, Esq.
 
Pearl of the Post: Wrap It

Veteran's day has me praying on this pearl "Freedom is a gift. Open it, accept it, revel in it and always remember it was earned on the heels of others - our ancestors - in every generation."

My paternal grandpa fought for the US in WW2, my maternal grandpa fought to survive WW2. They came from opposite sides of the world and had very different war stories.  

One grandpa was a veteran, the other a Holocaust survivor. Both considered lucky.

We fight for freedom each day in such small ways - freedom from fear, freedom to be ourselves, freedom to share information - always appreciate the larger breaths of freedom we breathe that are being "protected" every day. Our freedom is on bail.

Freedom can so easily be stifled by the greed, power and small mindedness of others and worse - by yourself.

Free yourself first.

Do not be willfully blind. Be fully aware (sati) and keep your eyes and heart open to what feels free and what feels off. Your soul should always feel light, love and safe.

Pray for those who fight for freedom. Pray for those who do not know life without fear. Pray for those whose freedom hangs in the balance.

My grandfather, Jack Litman, was a member of the 13th Airborne Division (LUCKY 13), which was trained at Fort Bragg, N.C. beginning in 1943 and, for a variety of logistical reasons, was not deployed in Europe until February, 1945. The division, one of five airborne combat divisions (The most famous of which were the 101st and the 82nd) arrived in the ETO that month to learn it may be required to support operations during the closing states of the Battle of the Bulge. The campaign in the Ardennes Forest (with a hard-earned and decisive allied victory) ended before the 13th could be deployed. In March, '45, the 13th expected to be deployed in a jump over the Rhine as the allies advanced on Germany. But the allied advance was so rapid that the War Department reconsidered and transformed the 13th into smaller components. Ultimately, your grandfather's division was trained for the invasion of Japan but, again, the war ended before the 13th could be deployed. (thank you Wikipedia!!)

Veterans leave battles with such scars on both sides, war is not for warriors, war is not the poster child for how strong we are as a nation. Each war, each strike, each bullet and missile fired drops us further down the fear sinkhole. 

Let's re-create the war story.

I've always had an inner conflict around war. Without it, I very well would not be alive today. My maternal grandparents may have been killed. I've studied the Laws of War in school, yet the laws of today's warfare are vastly different. Yet the underlying reasons remain - fear, money, resources, power. My heart grieves for the war losses around the world, especially the "smaller" but no less devastating conflicts and prays for another way.  

War displaces.

Our nation cheers so strongly for our military when it goes off to battle yet forgets about them when they come home. If we truly honor their service, we must do better to provide more support, services and financial aid to our veterans so they live with dignity and pride for the freedom they fought for.

Send love and light to all who serve, in our military and in others. War divides us. Love unites us. Acceptance erases the dividing lines. Respect creates acceptable boundaries.

We owe it to our ancestors to carry the freedom torch forward.

Pray for ALL to find peace. Pray for alternatives to war.

Here's praying that Marianne Williamson is the first of many peaceful activists to be called up to more influential positions.

Amen.


Originally published on Gabrielle Bernstein's website for women Herfuture.com 

Related Content:
Family Forum: Memorial Day Honor

Resources:
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Homeless