Love and Fortitude.

"How ironic is it that I am on the same bus route (A) that I chose not to wait for exactly 1 year ago? 

For once in my life, my impatience benefited me in ways that I could never be less grateful for. For my impatience allowed me to walk home and have a wonderful conversation with my dad. If I had known that it was the last one I would ever have had, I would have never hung up. Could everyone please do me a favor? Call your parents if you haven't spoken to them for a few days or just tell them that you love them and be sincere because life is very unexpected.--- Peace and love, chelsea"

-Chelsea Caplener, Awesome Cousin

Dear Family and Friends, 

I am sorry about the late post. Between the terroristic attacks in Boston, the anniversary of my Uncle's passing and my never ending attempt to stay on the brighter side of life... I didn't know what to write yesterday. 

I didn't want to write about death and the outrage I felt when I heard about the attack on Boston at the marathon. A MARATHON! There is NO WAY to spin such a horrendous act into something that we should learn from. There is nothing to be learned. There are just such HORRIBLE people in the world who think the death of innocent people is somehow justified in their warped, murderous minds. It is miserably maddening to find out that an event that is supposed to promote LIFE and HEALTH has suddenly become a moment when we all have to question our safety and the safety of the ones we love. Anytime a public event is sponsored a twinge of FEAR will be like mildew on our enthusiasm. 

I just watched two CNN reports. The first was about one of the first-responders who found the eight year old boy who died and his sister, a six year old, who's leg was blown off. 

How the hell is that JUSTIFIED? Excuse me, I keep on using the word "Justified". In the second report that I watched one of the accused bombers classmates said that the accused thought that terrorism was "justified."

AN EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY and a SIX YEAR OLD GIRL!!! HOW is THAT "JUSTIFIED"? 

All life should be precious. All life should be held up and honored. If it isn't, if life just becomes a series of news reports of the fuckedupness of the world then... what? WHAT? Planes fly into buildings in NYC. Little kids are shot in school in Connecticut. The same day of the bombings in Boston there were also bombings across Iraq. Do we just live in FEAR? Do we hide behind brick walls of pain and suffering? Do we have a CALL TO ARMS and take justice and a gun into out own hands?

OH... on that... I've also been reading reports of people attacking their neighbors because they think that THEY ARE JUSTIFIED in BLAMING a particular group or/and groups for the behavior of the terrorists. Once again with the JUSTIFICATION of HATE....

Hate is NEVER JUSTIFIED. EVER.

Love.

That is the only answer I can come up with. LOVE MORE. Love your family more. Love your friends more. Love your neighbor more. Love the world you live in and hopefully it'll be a better place. Live life with love.

Love will not solve everything. It WILL make the LIFE you have to LIVE a more fulfilling one. Love will not prevent events like the bombings in Boston from happening. It will FILL the FEAR that these terrible events promote. It will FILL the FEAR with FORTITUDE. 

FORTITUDE:

Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my Uncle's passing. The quote I started this blog with exemplifies one of POINTS I always try to get across in this blog. LOVE MORE. Take the time to TELL the ones you LOVE that you LOVE THEM. You never know what is going to happen in the crazy world that we all live in. 

I am a ridiculous optimist but even I know that SHIT HAPPENS. That little girl that lost her leg also lost her brother. She will never get to play with him again. She will never get to know the man he could have become... because of someones JUSTIFICATION. 

The only thing in this life that is justified is LOVE. Love harder. Love more. 

Love and Fortitude,

Cousin Pili