The Importance of a Quote

“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And, by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

When I first read the above quote the other day, it touched me somewhere down inside on a soul level. I don't know the story behind it -- I don't know what Mr. Hale wrote the quote for, or why, only that it was a quote one of the coaches for Ohio State liked to use to pump up the guys in the locker room before their games.

I thought to myself, damn, if I were to highlight the words I find important in each sentence, that quote is talking to ME. "I AM only one, but I AM ONE. I CAN'T do EVERYthing, but I CAN do SOMEthing. The SOMEthing I OUGHT to do, I CAN do. And, by the grace of God, I WILL."

There was something else the quote reminded me of when I found it. It reminded me of all of you vets out there. This was like a motto you guys lived by, even if you never heard the quote before. You invisibly took it along with you to Vietnam (or Cambodia or Afghanistan or Iraq) -- wherever the hell our country sent you. You never complained. You did what you had to do. You did what you were trained to do. You did what you were told to do.  You did what you thought was right.

There are several reasons why I started this blog. Believe it or not, NONE of the reasons included wanting to cause anyone undue anguish by digging and poking around where you've buried pain for nearly fifty years.

I started Memoirs From Nam a week ago now -- and with all of the best of intentions. I have nothing but love and a sense of honor and respect for every one of you, but I'm dying here, guys. No one seems to want to meet me halfway by sharing anything.

I shared my frustrations with my spirit guide, Dinahh, and wrote a blog about it the other day on my spiritual awareness blog, Knowing Whispers. I want to close today with an excerpt from that blog:

" ... It was Dinahh who suggested to me that part of my healing and spiritual growth was to help others who also still carried the pain around with them. He felt I should invite them to share their memories, to embrace the past with them so they, too, could heal.

I guess the purpose of this blog today is to share my overwhelming frustration. Things are going very slow with Memoirs From Nam. I told Dinahh a while ago that I'm meeting with so much resistance from Vets. They don't want to face the hurt. Some even refuse to go to the blog and read what others have written. I can feel their pain as though it were my own and I do understand.

Dinahh said, "Catherine, I've told you before, you must be patient. Open your heart and share your feelings. Let your blog be a place for gathering; a place for peace; a place for sharing; be satisfied to know you are doing what your heart feels is loving. It will be. With us, here, everything is as it should be. There is no time here, only infinity. Don't be always in such a hurry! Do what you can and it will be."

Do what I can ... now THAT is exactly what the quote reminded me of. I'm doing what I can, because I can do no less ...

Knowing Whispers Blog

God Bless America