For Whom The Bell Tolls

No matter which side of the fence you sit on politically, John McCain certainly had a great outlook about his country, the United States of America.  His expression of what he felt about life is so well put in this, the last page of his recent book:

If you are not familiar with the poem, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” by John Donne, here it is:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Here’s to the United States of America!

P.S. In thinking about celebrating life and being grateful, I can’t let the day go without celebrating my wonderful daughter, Carrie whose birthday is today.  I am always grateful and proud to be her mother.  She is one of the most caring people you will ever meet. We often call her Care, for short, and it is not just because it is an abbreviation of Carrie.  It is because that name, Care, personifies that quality that is so synonymous with who Carrie is.  She is smart, (no one knows or understands all the tech stuff like she does), she is fiercely loyal, passionate about those things and people she holds dear, and beautiful on top of it all.  Her name actually means “strong and womanly”.  She is certainly that and so much more.

Happy birthday, Carrie.  You have delighted us since the day we met, and I couldn’t be more proud of you or happy to celebrate the woman you are!
xo,
Mommy (aka Robin)