And, to be greater than the flesh and bone that contains me. Perhaps then when my spirit departs it will join the brilliance of the stars above and twinkle with a thousand shining moments.

The moments that brought goodness to the world. The moments when I did not allow fear or weakness of character to break me. The times when I was able to understand that there is a well from which to drink from that quenches our spirit’s thirst better than hate or vengeance.

This is the most difficult path, to choose the hard decisions and not bow to the wicked to please the many. I come from a people who lived with an integrity honed by the mettle of their refusal to comply with hate.

A quiet purposeful stand against the worst we as humans have to give. A silent NO, a defiant refusal to be a part of cruelty. I hope that in the end I do not contribute to the unnecessary pain that seems to flourish in our world. That I can touch peoples’ hearts and minds to help them overcome their pain.

And, when my grandchildren look up into the vast array of celestial bodies in the night’s sky they will know that they are never alone, that I am there as their guiding star.

When they wake every morning they will see the last twinkle on the horizon to guide them forward. And, at night the brilliant emergence of their North Star to lead them through their darkest hours.

We never really die if in the moments we are given we give back a shining light. We just become sparks of inspiration, hope, and wisdom in a world dark with ignorance, so our children never diminish, but carry all of the light of Humanity into the future.