I keep holding onto a thought that I do believe is important. All of us have lived in a better time, a more gracious and hope-filled time. These experiences are now a part of us - they have helped to form us. And I do believe they will give us the strength and the clarity to move beyond the times that we are now living in. This is true for all of us older folks, but it is also true for the younger ones. Integrity, kindness, connection, open-heartedness .... these relics of an earlier time are alive and well inside each of us. They will sustain us.
Yes, Elliot - I do believe so. Who we are and how we perceive the world (and one another) is rooted in what we have known. It cannot be swept away by the abuse of power. You're right - it is, indeed, a form of muscle memory for our democracy, for the kind of society in which we can cherish one another, as we have been cherished.
Congratulations to you, your wife and two daughters on their milestones!
Elliot, I believe I might be quite a bit older than you and am, like so many others, dismayed by what we see happening around us. That said, the younger generations give me much hope. Many, many of them look around and see very clearly, have a passion and kindness toward others and the environment and are committed to making this a better world.
I am sorry what we are passing to them is so messed up and…… I also believe that had these bandaids not been ripped off to expose all the ugliness festering below, the old ugliness may have persisted in the dark. It is a difficult time and - this may well have been the reason we came, to labor and witness the birth of a new world that will, finally!…. see everyone as equal while we work toward justice, kindness and respect not only for human beings but everything on this achingly beautiful and fragile planet.
May you and everyone you love walk in peace, love and beauty!
It was touching to read your piece,recalling so vividly the values and optimism of the generation that came before mine, through our generation to yours, all the way to your kids.
This is how we prepare our children for the world they must inherit, by retelling the true stories of pain and love and the challenges faced by previous generations.
It was their gift to us ,our gift to you, your gift to the next generation . It is so encouraging to know that the kids know the value of those gifts, and will face this world stronger for that knowledge. It’s all we can give them-that, and the love that goes on and on.
As a Professional Stage Manager and active musical theater lover all my life, as well as a mom of a recently graduated HS Senior, this one hits just the right spots for me.
My daughter also has a great desire to “help people” and “make contributions to the greater good.” So we must be doing something right!
Elliot, thank you for sharing your personal story. I love reading the history of your family. And you and your wife have done a great job of parenting two lovely daughters, giving us hope for the future. A very poignant story. Thank you!
We who lived through the beautiful, hopeful times, cannot allow the 30% of Americans who continually believe that what the Heritage Foundation envisioned and drumpf helps to realize for the future of our nation to continue. We must show up in mass and vote to defeat this trend. This is not a matter of party affiliation, it is an existential time for the foundational tenets of our nation, that was once the light in the hill for the world. Now, it is a gaudy, gilded cage.
This is one of the most beautiful things you have written. And that's saying a lot as so much of what you write is compassionate and inspiring. Thank you for sharing a huge part of "you" with us. Thank you for having the trust in us to do that
Congratulations. Apparently parents can brag all they want when their kids complete a race. So let’s go for it! We’ve just returned from New York where our daughter graduated from medical school at Madison Square Gardens. I would have slept on the floor in the hotel just to have been there. Thousands of people in their caps and gowns in the streets walking to their destination. The chancellor of her university choked back tears as he reminded us that “the world is with us today”. Those students came from every corner of America and the world. We’ve always taken the idea that “the world needs our children and God will bless them”.
PS we met the most fantastic people everywhere we visited, all looking to a better future. One highlight was seeing the musical “Hamilton”!
This is such a meaningful and moving edition of TtF, Elliot. Mazal tov to both your daughters for their accomplishments, and the same to you and your wife for your parts in helping shape your girls' values. I think each generation has so much to offer to those both older and younger than it, if only all are willing to listen. There's so much potential for good, and if we can manage to sustain hope for the future, there's more than a chance that good WILL prevail.
As I approach my 79th revolution around our sun, I am more sure now more than ever, that while this world is one reality that requires our commitment to act, there is another reality that is infinitely more important and widely ignored or misunderstood. First, my understanding, obtained after 53 years of meditation, is that life is a gift with a purpose, and that purpose is to practically experience the feelings of joy and boundless love that make life possible; an experience that flows without interruption with each breath, from the first breath to the last.
While we all seek peace, it must be understood that peace is not the absence of war. It is a feeling, yes, a feeling, that resides within us that does not exist as a consequence of anything. Seeking this feeling must come first, even if it is quickly followed by actions to remove all the weapons in the world. Without acting from this feeling, war, starting with the one that first exists within us, well return.
Mankind, must understand that we are the angels we are waiting for. Peace, kindness, empathy of the highest order will never prevail without everyone first finding it within themselves.
And thank you for sharing your love for your family; one I am sure many of us would have loved to have had.
I keep holding onto a thought that I do believe is important. All of us have lived in a better time, a more gracious and hope-filled time. These experiences are now a part of us - they have helped to form us. And I do believe they will give us the strength and the clarity to move beyond the times that we are now living in. This is true for all of us older folks, but it is also true for the younger ones. Integrity, kindness, connection, open-heartedness .... these relics of an earlier time are alive and well inside each of us. They will sustain us.
Thank you Lark. Beuatifully stated. Like muscle memory for our democracy.
Yes, Elliot - I do believe so. Who we are and how we perceive the world (and one another) is rooted in what we have known. It cannot be swept away by the abuse of power. You're right - it is, indeed, a form of muscle memory for our democracy, for the kind of society in which we can cherish one another, as we have been cherished.
Very moving story. Hope is like a wave receding and returning with the tides.
Congratulations to you, your wife and two daughters on their milestones!
Elliot, I believe I might be quite a bit older than you and am, like so many others, dismayed by what we see happening around us. That said, the younger generations give me much hope. Many, many of them look around and see very clearly, have a passion and kindness toward others and the environment and are committed to making this a better world.
I am sorry what we are passing to them is so messed up and…… I also believe that had these bandaids not been ripped off to expose all the ugliness festering below, the old ugliness may have persisted in the dark. It is a difficult time and - this may well have been the reason we came, to labor and witness the birth of a new world that will, finally!…. see everyone as equal while we work toward justice, kindness and respect not only for human beings but everything on this achingly beautiful and fragile planet.
May you and everyone you love walk in peace, love and beauty!
Mozel tov on your daughters' accomplishments.
As the tears become heavier, the dream becomes dimmer. What a heavy burden we are leaving to the next generations.
As my Jewish mother used to say,
“Halevai! From your mouth to God’s ears!”
Mazel tov, Elliot, on raising 2 bright & wonderful young women.
It was touching to read your piece,recalling so vividly the values and optimism of the generation that came before mine, through our generation to yours, all the way to your kids.
This is how we prepare our children for the world they must inherit, by retelling the true stories of pain and love and the challenges faced by previous generations.
It was their gift to us ,our gift to you, your gift to the next generation . It is so encouraging to know that the kids know the value of those gifts, and will face this world stronger for that knowledge. It’s all we can give them-that, and the love that goes on and on.
Again, thanks Elliot.
As a Professional Stage Manager and active musical theater lover all my life, as well as a mom of a recently graduated HS Senior, this one hits just the right spots for me.
My daughter also has a great desire to “help people” and “make contributions to the greater good.” So we must be doing something right!
Elliot, thank you for sharing your personal story. I love reading the history of your family. And you and your wife have done a great job of parenting two lovely daughters, giving us hope for the future. A very poignant story. Thank you!
We who lived through the beautiful, hopeful times, cannot allow the 30% of Americans who continually believe that what the Heritage Foundation envisioned and drumpf helps to realize for the future of our nation to continue. We must show up in mass and vote to defeat this trend. This is not a matter of party affiliation, it is an existential time for the foundational tenets of our nation, that was once the light in the hill for the world. Now, it is a gaudy, gilded cage.
This is one of the most beautiful things you have written. And that's saying a lot as so much of what you write is compassionate and inspiring. Thank you for sharing a huge part of "you" with us. Thank you for having the trust in us to do that
Nothing gives us more hope for a better world than our children. They are our ambassadors to the future.
Congratulations. Apparently parents can brag all they want when their kids complete a race. So let’s go for it! We’ve just returned from New York where our daughter graduated from medical school at Madison Square Gardens. I would have slept on the floor in the hotel just to have been there. Thousands of people in their caps and gowns in the streets walking to their destination. The chancellor of her university choked back tears as he reminded us that “the world is with us today”. Those students came from every corner of America and the world. We’ve always taken the idea that “the world needs our children and God will bless them”.
PS we met the most fantastic people everywhere we visited, all looking to a better future. One highlight was seeing the musical “Hamilton”!
This is such a meaningful and moving edition of TtF, Elliot. Mazal tov to both your daughters for their accomplishments, and the same to you and your wife for your parts in helping shape your girls' values. I think each generation has so much to offer to those both older and younger than it, if only all are willing to listen. There's so much potential for good, and if we can manage to sustain hope for the future, there's more than a chance that good WILL prevail.
This made me cry! Thank you for helping me have hope for my children. 🙏🏼💙
Dear Elliot,
As I approach my 79th revolution around our sun, I am more sure now more than ever, that while this world is one reality that requires our commitment to act, there is another reality that is infinitely more important and widely ignored or misunderstood. First, my understanding, obtained after 53 years of meditation, is that life is a gift with a purpose, and that purpose is to practically experience the feelings of joy and boundless love that make life possible; an experience that flows without interruption with each breath, from the first breath to the last.
While we all seek peace, it must be understood that peace is not the absence of war. It is a feeling, yes, a feeling, that resides within us that does not exist as a consequence of anything. Seeking this feeling must come first, even if it is quickly followed by actions to remove all the weapons in the world. Without acting from this feeling, war, starting with the one that first exists within us, well return.
Mankind, must understand that we are the angels we are waiting for. Peace, kindness, empathy of the highest order will never prevail without everyone first finding it within themselves.
And thank you for sharing your love for your family; one I am sure many of us would have loved to have had.