Wisdom from Pres. Theodore Roosevelt

This is a quote that is helpful for all of us involved with Esperanza to remember.  It is so much easier to be a critic than to be doing the work. 

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."  Pres. Theodore Roosevelt

Paladin

In the late 1950s and early 1960s the United States television series Have Gun – Will Travel starred Richard Boone as a "knight without armor" called "Paladin".^[When I was a young girl I often watched this program and recently have seen some reruns.  Yet until today I didn't know the meaning of the word "paladin":

MEANING:

noun:
1. A strong supporter of a cause.
2. A heroic champion.

 

I hope that all of us associated with Esperanza can be paladins!

A Lesson From the Freedom Fighters

Last night we watched a documentary about the Freedom Riders. The courage they had is an inspiration. They stayed true to their cause in spite of the heinous trials and afflictions they faced.

This true story is a reminder that no matter how just our cause is there is no guarantee that we won't face opposition. In fact, if there is no opposition the cause is probably not big enough. As Albert Einstein said, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

It is important for those of us founding Esperanza to remember this...and not give up our commitment to the cause when opposition appears.