Spartan Woman
I was thinking of my Bride today. I miss her so very much and she was heavy on my mind today. My oldest, Chaos, has been sick, there have been Judo tournaments (Mayhem took first place for age and skill group!) financial decisions, extended family issues, and all kinds of other homefront issues that she has had to deal with. I could not be here and keep my mind in the game if she wasn’t back in the rear taking care of business. In fact, I could do very little at all period if she was not covering my six. My mind then wandered to the Japanese proverb:
“Death is lighter than a feather but duty is heavier than the mountains”
It is so easy for me to be here. All I have to worry about is doing my duty to the best of my ability. It is only easy to carry on in Harm’s way because my Bride bears the burden heavier than the mountains. This line of thought carried me to the legend of how Leonidas chose his 300 Spartans to make the fateful stand before the Persians at Thermopylae. It is said that each warrior was chosen not for his own skills, strength or courage, but the strength and courage of his wife. This was because he knew that all of Hellas would look to how the Spartan women bore the burden and would steel themselves from their example. A quick perusal of scholarly writings on ancient Hellenite says that the legend in merely a fantasy but never the less it an image that applies mightily well towards my Bride. She is the anchor that keeps me from drifting upon rocks and shoals, she is the star by which I can steer a true course, she is the wind that fills the sails and brings the following sea. She is my best and truest friend and the only earthly person who truly knows who I am. She knows the measure of me, both the goodness and the darkness that reside within my soul and she loves me in spite of me. She is a blessing to me from God and only God could claim to know better than she who I truly am.
My Bride is a Spartan woman and for her and because of her I will come back with my shield or if needs be on it.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
“Death is lighter than a feather but duty is heavier than the mountains”
It is so easy for me to be here. All I have to worry about is doing my duty to the best of my ability. It is only easy to carry on in Harm’s way because my Bride bears the burden heavier than the mountains. This line of thought carried me to the legend of how Leonidas chose his 300 Spartans to make the fateful stand before the Persians at Thermopylae. It is said that each warrior was chosen not for his own skills, strength or courage, but the strength and courage of his wife. This was because he knew that all of Hellas would look to how the Spartan women bore the burden and would steel themselves from their example. A quick perusal of scholarly writings on ancient Hellenite says that the legend in merely a fantasy but never the less it an image that applies mightily well towards my Bride. She is the anchor that keeps me from drifting upon rocks and shoals, she is the star by which I can steer a true course, she is the wind that fills the sails and brings the following sea. She is my best and truest friend and the only earthly person who truly knows who I am. She knows the measure of me, both the goodness and the darkness that reside within my soul and she loves me in spite of me. She is a blessing to me from God and only God could claim to know better than she who I truly am.
My Bride is a Spartan woman and for her and because of her I will come back with my shield or if needs be on it.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
posted by Ed | 3/09/2006 06:17:00 AM
1 Comments:
What a wonderful post. You're a good man and she is obviously one heck of a lady!!!
hang in there!!
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