I meant to post this entry on September 11th, but not for the reason you may think. A few students remarked on the date, but I suspect that since the incidents that occurred in 2001 are before their births, the relevance and understanding of that day does not have the same meaning as it would for others. I remember vividly what I was doing on that day, but now I have a new September 11th memory: the evening I attended the Calgary word Fest event with Amanda Lindhout in 2014:
Having followed the story of her abduction, and seen her speak at a middle school conference and then listened to an audio-book version of her book (voiced by Amanda herself), I have been intrigued, heartbroken and marveled at Amanda's journey. Despite all of the horrific details of her treatment in Somalia and the after effects, Amanda's story is ultimately one of healing and forgiveness. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was able to attend her speaker series on the 11th last year. It was a reminder of the power of forgiveness in the face of remarkable hurt and how a person may choose to overcome the most difficult of personal obstacles.
"I think it's the human spirit inside of all of us that has an enormous capacity to survive."
No comments:
Post a Comment