No Greater A Thing
No Greater A Thing (1946 To Present Day)
The day of the week was Saturday, the 145th day of the year 1946, under the sign of Gemini.
As your Precious new eyes gazed at this ever-changing world, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established worldwide. You, an infant entirely unattached to those events, were a blessing of chance less likely to have been born than most.
Your father had served in the Army as a combat medic, which guaranteed the odds of him surviving World War 2 were, well, let's say, "Not Very good." Add to that service that he filled his role as a medic without a weapon because he decided to be a conscientious observer. That's a gamble few live to talk about. It is the modern-day equivalent of heading to Vegas with a pocket of coins and coming home a millionaire. Yeah, the law of averages did not apply to him during that service, and thankfully, his luck held to bring him back home alive.
I have often reflected upon this factor of chance regarding my own life, and I am amazed every time.
There were ongoing War Crimes Tribunals in Nuremberg and Tokyo, Japan, the very month you were born. Strangely enough, on the day of your birth, a U.S. Army C-45 transport plane crashed into the 58th floor of the 70-story Bank of Manhattan building on Wall Street, killing all five persons aboard. May 25, 1946: Truman comes within 3 minutes of ordering the U.S. Army to seize America's railroads. "The Gypsy" by The Ink Spots topped the Billboard Honor Roll of Hits. Also, Jordan gained independence from Britain on May 25, 1946 (National Day); Abdullah Ibn Hussein became King of Jordan. There are several observed holidays worldwide on your special day as well. The Ascension is one of the great feasts in the Christian liturgical calendar. Virginia - Confederate Memorial Day (1868).
In Latvia, Urbanas Diena Day is on May 25. In Argentina, it is the Day of May Revolution/National Day (1810). Chad, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe - African Liberation Day.
More Modernly, Carrie Underwood Day is officially declared in Oklahoma for her winning American Idol. There is also the Yugoslavian - Day of Youth.
Here is something I had never heard of before researching your birthday. The Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories, 25-31 May.
Strange, huh? So many things have happened on your special day that it only makes sense that you were born on that day. Or does it? Maybe your birth is not directly attached to anything before or since. It is widely thought that everything happens for a reason," or every one of us has a specific purpose. A destiny. Well, what if, by some unlabeled luck, you, me, and everyone we have ever known existed by chance? There is no rhyme or reason to it all. It's just pure cause and effect. A roll of the proverbial dice, perhaps?
Just the fact that you were born lends itself to that train of thought. Could "The Reason" or "Purpose" be written in as we go? I think it very well could be.
I also like to think that specific individuals are born into this world solely for that purpose. Their prose is more vague than most. It would not be as memorable as unique if it were to be understood at a glance.
Take Christianity as an example. So many things are left to our own wonderings and inner interpretations that the only thing we can truly grasp most times is "The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways." As all things do, our beliefs lie directly with our experiences and are formed along our lifespans like roots. Singularly written and edited continually as we go along. We were shifting to conform to our new ideas based selfishly enough on us as individuals.
We twist and grasp at everything in our path as we go on. Both figuratively and literally. Knowledge is indeed power, and wisdom rules supremely.
I wanted to say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to you as I always do, and wouldn't you know it? Yet again, we find ourselves Down the rabbit hole of thoughts. I will say this, Mother. There is no more incredible thing than chance. Although it holds no physical static place, it is the only thing that is certain. No mathematical equation could ever unravel it despite the world's scholars' attempts to do just that. What we do after being given that chance indeed links us all.
It is what we form from that uncertainty over time that creates us. It shapes us and leaves our legacy for others to reflect upon.
With each step we take, we are confronted yet again by chance. Nothing is a given. Nothing is etched in stone unless we have already passed it by. Our futures can never be thoroughly chosen. It is within this chance forced blindly upon us that we weep for lost loved ones. This blindingly real factor of chance holds us captive longer in the mirror reflection of ourselves, so we ensure we have covered our weaknesses to the best of our ability before we go off on our day.
Our dear friend Chance drops us to our knees, weak in loss, and startles us to life with the smile of a long-lost friend we again, by chance, bump into after years of absence. With each corner we turned, drove, or forced ourselves to walk around, this chance confronted us.
I sat down to write to you today, my loving mother. This morning, I set myself on a course to further understand what links us outside our family bonds and what I found. All I saw was sweet, delicately unbalanced uncertainty.
The sun rose this morning as it always does, but even that is uncertain to be there tomorrow for you, me, or anyone else. So, I must conclude I am the luckiest person in the world for having this opportunity to be your son.
I trust this day finds you comfortable and happy. I love you with all my heart, Mother. Thank you for beating the odds
of chance and allowing me to take part in this thing called life. I know we both pause in moments of chance. But, so far,
somehow, we luckily found our way.
Thank you so very much!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Your loving son.
