Write A Love Letter Like A Soldier

The thing women most want on Valentine’s Day is not jewelry or chocolate but a love note from you. A Hallmark card with some prefabricated message simply won’t do. Women want to hear words straight from your heart.

But writing a well-crafted love note is no easy task. They can quickly devolve into trite, cliche mushiness that doesn’t say anything meaningful. Chock full of banal generalities, these love notes pack the romantic punch of a wet noodle. Do you need some inspiration on making your love note powerfully romantic?

Nothing is more romantic and tragic than the last letter a soldier writes home before being killed in action. The supreme example of this type of letter was written by a man named Sullivan Ballou.

Ballou was an American patriot who immediately and voluntarily left his career and family and enlisted in the Union army when the Civil War commenced. A week before Bull Run, a battle in which he would be killed, Sullivan penned this love letter to his wife Sarah. Read over the words slowly and take in what a true man’s love sounds like:

July the 14th, 1861

Washington D.C.

My very dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days-perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure-and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine O God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing-perfectly willing-to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows-when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children-is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death-and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.

I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of the principles have often advocated before the people and “the name of honor that I love more than I fear death” have called upon me, and I have obeyed.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me-perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar-that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night-amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours-always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father’s love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God’s blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.

Sullivan

After you read the letter listen to a shortened version in this clip from Ken Burn’s Civil War documentary. It is set to the achingly beautiful “Ashokan Farewell.” Whether you are a man or a woman, I dare you not to get a tear in your eye. The letter begins at 2:25:

With Love... Best Regards

Harish Nayak...

Leave Behind A Legacy That Will Never Leave..

Today is, of course, Columbus Day. A day to celebrate the fact that Christopher Columbus officially discovered America. I know, I know, fellow history buffs, how do you discover something that’s already there? Simple, you point it out to the rest of the world. For example, I can tell you that you can get killer Catfish and ridiculously delicious hush puppies at Willow Pond in Aurora, Kentucky – I didn’t discover the catfish restaurant, but I DID tell you about a restaurant you otherwise wouldn’t be aware of. Unless you’re familiar with Kentucky’s beautiful Land Between the Lakes, you might not even know about Aurora.

Columbus sort of re-tweeted what the Native Americans were doing and, since he had more followers, news spread like wildfire.

We were meant to give our lives away. Spend more time living your legacy instead of worrying about leaving it. – Lee J. Colan

At any rate, I didn’t set out to necessarily post about Christopher Columbus OR to give myself a wicked craving for hush puppies. I was simply thinking about legacies today. When I was on Twitter this morning – enjoying the afterglow of the Denver Bronco’s stellar win – I noticed that two of the “hot topics” this morning were Christopher Columbus and Michael Jackson. The two names made me think about legacies… for better or worse.

Legacies.

When we walk along a wet beach, we leave our footprints behind us. In the same way, we leave our legacies behind us when we leave this world. However, there’s no tide to come and take away these impressions. We earn our reputations and we earn our legacy.

When we think of others, we think of things they stand for and issues that are important to them. We think of things they like, things they love, and things they detest. In the span of a few minutes, we can conjure up a pretty good impression of them. Depending upon the individual, the following words may come into play:

• selfish
• giving
• jealous
• moody
• happy
• sad
• foul-tempered
• compassionate
• bitter
• easy-going

Usually, the impression we have of someone acts as a mirror – reflecting the impressions they leave behind… like footprints in the sand.

Have you given much thought to the legacy your building? Do you realize that you form your legacy each and every single day? Overwhelming, I know!

The good news is this: If you fear that your legacy comes up short of your expectations – as long as you still have breath in your body, you can do something about it! The only time it’s too late is when the breath is gone. Be absolutely still for a minute – are you breathing? Excellent, your legacy is still a work in progress!!!

Here’s an illustration: I love baseball. However, a few sensational players have been “stained” by wrongdoings. Think of Pete Rose and Barry Bonds. Incredible players who loved the game and had (have) absolutely countless fans. I loved to watch Barry Bonds at bat! Each had his own particular “misstep” along their walk…. come on, as we all do. But the thing, in my opinion, that most people absolutely cannot accept is when an individual doesn’t own up to their mistake. When they try to shift blame, act dumb, or keep saying, “I refuse to answer that question…” – our give a dang exceeds its limits and we no longer even give half a dang.

Their “sins” end up owning them in the end and they seal their legacy. However, if they would, sincerely, acknowledge their wrongs and apologize to their fans – their legacy would include the word “gut” rather than “guilty” as a sincere apology all but erases the i, the l, and the y.

He that visits the sick in hopes of a legacy, but is never so friendly in all other cases, I look upon him as being no better than a raven that watches a weak sheep only to peck out its eyes. – Seneca

What does this mean for the rest of us? Plenty. If you suspect that your legacy would include the word “hothead,” lighten the heck up! If you aren’t sure that you’d be remembered for your generosity, become more generous (but don’t become the sort of giver that resents the giving or gives just to receive pats on the back… you’re missing the boat and the legacy will be just out of reach).

Explorers, athletes, and entertainers who are no longer with us leave behind a legacy that will never leave. So will I. And so will you. Begin, today, crafting one you’ll be proud of. Most importantly, remember the quote by Seneca (above) – don’t focus on leaving your legacy, focus on living your legacy.

Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.


With Love

Harish Nayak

Erase Hate – One Person at a Time

In 1998, on a deserted road, 21 year old Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. Tragically, 3 days later, that’s exactly what happened. Was he guilty of a crime that vigilante justice insisted he atone for? Had he cheated on or wronged someone for the last time? Was someone settling a score? What had this beloved son done to “deserve” to be tortured and murdered? In a sentence? Matthew Shepard was gay. His young life was brutally ended for that reason alone.

I cannot even begin to imagine a more horrific or terrifying death. The pain, the fear, the helplessness, and the suffering. I also cannot even begin to imagine something else: The HATE. How can any human have so much hate inside of them that they would do this to another person? How could anyone be so demonic and so unspeakably evil?

Unfortunately, Matthew Shepard wasn’t the first victim of a hate crime or the last. No race, sex, denomination, or individual is safe from hate crimes. Anyone could be targeted, actually, because we’re all different. Christians, whites, blacks, gay people, straight people, the elderly, the young, the pretty, the ugly, Latinos, Asians, Jews, native Americans… the list goes on and on. History has proven that hate, when fed a continual diet of rage and intolerance will lead to unspeakable crimes. Some people think nothing can be done about it, so why even try. Fortunately, at least as many people know that love is greater than hate and that to not try is somewhat like contributing to the hate.

Just a few thoughts:
1. Examine your own heart. Do you harbor hatred toward any group of people? If so, ask yourself how comfortable you are being filled with something as ugly and poisonous as hatred.

2. Listen to your children. Do they continually make fun of or condemn a certain type of person? Ask yourself how comfortable you are with your children being full of such hatred. One of the saddest things in the world is when parents raise their children to hate just as they hate. WHY WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO HATE INSTEAD OF LOVE?

3. Realize that we are all different. It may be a shock to one’s system, but we are all hated by someone. Whether it’s for our race, our religion, or our sex – we are all the object of someone else’s hatred and intolerance.

After you take a good look inward, make the necessary changes outward. Hate destroys all of those it touches – those who harbor it every bit as much as those they harbor it towards.

Granted, we all have different views and different beliefs. There’s nothing wrong with that. If one person is a Democrat and the other’s a Republican – neither has done anything wrong. But when one develops hatred for the other and becomes so intolerant that they treat the other as though they’re diseased, they fail to realize that the one who is diseased is actually the person they see in the mirror each morning.

Hatred is a disease. Love is the cure. Even if someone does something you don’t agree with or understand, you should love them. Hating will destroy you long before it does them.

Matthew Shepard’s family has set up a remarkable foundation in their beloved son’s name. It’s too late to save Matthew, of course, but the hope is that it isn’t too late to save other sons and daughters, mothers and fathers….. Their message is a simple yet powerful one: Erase Hate. There are pendants and tees that shout the message out loud and proud.

The more of us who wear and live this message, the better. When the haters of the world see how completely outnumbered they are, perhaps they’ll retreat to a corner and figure out how to get a life. Maybe then, when they step back out of the corner, they can actually enjoy life, contribute to society, live a life worth living, and allow everyone else to do the same.

With Love..

Harish Nayak

Welcome...

This is my blog.. Welcome to it and hope we have a pleasant time reacting with each other.

I shall start with a Beautiful Poem i have recently read. Hope you all will like it and give your personal opinions and comments. Here it goes...

The world would like to change you;

There are pressures all around,

You must decide just who you are,

Then firmly hold your ground.

You have an image of yourself,

An ideal sense of you;

And to this vision you must always

Struggle to be true.

You know what you are good at,

And you know where talents lie;

But if you're ruled by others,

Your uniqueness could pass by.

Remember, there is much to learn,

All new things aren't good,

Wisdom lies in what you've learned

And what you have withstood.

So be yourself and don't allow

The world to take control,

Preserving your identity

Is life's most precious goal.

~~Bruce B. Wilmer


With Love

Harish Nayak