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The Faith and Strength of a Child
Ivan Cameron, the six-year-old son of the British Conservative Party leader David Cameron and his wife Samantha, was referred to by his father as "a magical child with a magical smile that can make me feel like the happiest father in the world." David Cameron spoke of his son that way despite the fact -- or maybe because of it -- that Ivan battled cerebral palsy and a particularly severe form of epilepsy all of his life.
Last week, young Ivan lost his courageous battle for life. His family was devastated. The whole nation mourned. Ivan's death was front-page news in Britain, the lead story on the BBC. For the first time in 15 years, Parliament canceled the prime minister's weekly meeting with members. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a sometimes bitter adversary of Cameron's, paid tribute to Ivan as did other leaders. Cynics might see politicians' public mourning for a child with a skeptical eye. But I see something more at work.
Perhaps Ivan's struggle captured the heart of Britain because he lived with the kind of hope and strength we're all hungering to find right now but aren't getting. We live in a time of crisis. Millions wake everyday feeling vulnerable. Speeches are being given in every country by political leaders who are trying to restore confidence. Hope is what everyone wants but no one has.
Ivan Cameron's story riveted the nation more because of the hope his life inspired than because of the grief his death elicited. Many Britons saw pictures of Ivan throughout his tragically short life. They knew of his struggle, his parents' efforts to make him healthy, the reality that his diseases would never be cured. And yet he persevered. His father referred to him as "a little person who just wants to keep going." And he did keep going for as long as his little body could go and he taught a nation as he went.
He taught his father to smile after he first learned of the diagnosis that hit him "like a freight train." Though he never uttered a word in public, he inspired a nation to pull for him. He inspired caregivers to go beyond their duties to give their all for his survival. Despite youth and vulnerability, he taught strength -- a different type of strength than you get from a speech or a public relations campaign. Ivan's strength is the type one finds within. It's the kind of strength that can grow stronger when times are tougher. It's the kind of strength that endures a night of terror and wakes up in the morning with hope. It's the kind of strength that isn't deluded by false promises or painless offers of triumph. It's the old fashioned strength: it's real.
That's the kind of strength most of us don't have but long to find. Maybe the political leaders of the United Kingdom, Brown and Cameron, two men who share the cruel pain of losing a child, can together remind our country what we seem loathe to learn: strength doesn't come cheap. It requires facing reality, sacrificing dearly, trusting others. We Americans still seem to want everything without an ounce of sacrifice -- more health care, more education, more energy, more security. And how will it come? From a tax on 2% of Americans? Come on. That's cheap strength. We're capable of better.
We all need real strength, the kind you have to dig deep to find, the kind that brings people together, the kind that inspires children to want be like their parents, the kind that can lead to real change. The time for analyzing whether a President's speech is too gloomy or rosy is over. We need a dose of the truth. Sacrifice, struggle, faith, loyalty, commitment -- these are the values that made our nation great. These are the values we need right now.
I'm sure Ivan Cameron never wanted to be a role model. He probably would've been happy just to be a kid. But life has made him a teacher for all of us -- reminding us that in adversity, real strength takes everything we've got. It's a lesson of the heart, never easy but always worth it.
By
Timothy Shriver
|
March 2, 2009; 3:42 PM ET
| Category:
Religion From the Heart
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Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 2:33 AM
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kizlik soyadi, Her MAjesty, kat bulmadan, huzur bereket gormeden onceki halidir kisinin. kizgin, kanmamis ve doymamis durumudur, yani benim soyadim icin soylemistim.
Ahmet peygamber icin Ummi (not illiterate, member of community (ummet) and also spokesman, but "illiterate" because He was not able to read before He was forthy) denmesi gibi,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Secrets_of_Fatima
www.milliyet.com.tr/Cafe/HaberDetay.aspx?aType=HaberDetay&Kategori=cafe&ArticleID=1066586&Date=04.03.2009&b=Ruhum%20teflon%20gibi&ver=91
www.milliyet.com.tr/Yasam/SonDakika.aspx?aType=SonDakika&Kategori=yasam&KategoriID=17&ArticleID=1066804&Date=04.03.2009&b=Dunya%20buyuk%20bir%20tehlike%20atlatti
www.milliyet.com.tr/Yasam/SonDakika.aspx?aType=SonDakika&Kategori=turkiye&KategoriID=&ArticleID=1066785&Date=04.03.2009&b=Etilerde%20vahset
Spain George Hittitians DAvid Beheaded?
Kathleen Keating, Hugging Therapy
www.bykathleenkeating.com/works.htm
do not protect me, Her MAjesty. Guler SAbanci has already damaged much. but if Her MAjesty grants, She may send money to me.
my second penpal for 14 years was from Portugal VAlongo. and Fatima is the DAughter of Ahmet prophet, Mother of Grandsons, Wife of Holiness and Wisdom.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 3:03 AM
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Cem Mansur ve Lale MAnsur, Hillary Clinton and Simon Peres. the flowers and Amsterdam, the pill of peace to forget the unpleasant moments made in Amsterdam. and the Amsterdam Airport 1951 port.
Continental Tires Shaffer, the HAir of Women used in the Shoes of German Submariners, 34 Billions of Currency Unit, Chancellor Merkel, what is the address, the beautiful address?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 4:01 AM
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HAmsterdam and the energy for mobile phones generated on the wheels.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 4:01 AM
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other than wind mills in Holland?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 4:03 AM
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Rydell
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lewis
www.jerrylewiscomedy.com/
dag.wieers.com/personal/lyrics/Sway.php
what about Ubuntu?
from one of the readers here, i heard as "how muscular he is", is it about music school?
muscles are from mother, reds are from mother, whites are from father. did she mean to make up my mind?
Gordon Brown PM of Great Britain shall make up to meet BArack Obama.
give us the beautiful address, Chancellor, to strengthen our faith and love, for each and every children on EArth, so we are, angels.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 5:45 AM
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Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:13 AM
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i have added two more slashes, for a riddle.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6754425372510777199&ei=C12uSe_sAoy6iAKt27muDg&q=sway
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:16 AM
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DAvid CAmeron had come this summer to Anadolu f0or a vacation.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:27 AM
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Abdullah Gul, dilerim sizin kameranizla ve kameranin acik olmasi ile ve ay ile (kamer) bir ilgisi yoktur?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:29 AM
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cameron : camera on
cameron : with moon, full moon on.
kamer : moon
slash : the seperation of moon.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:31 AM
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heron : night fisher
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:33 AM
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Reiher : fisher
Reihe : rows, ranks, lines, numbers
"the apostels had come to speak and all the authorities of the folk had come in ranks, in lines, in sizes onto the surface to listen to."
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:35 AM
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Quran 54th Chapter, 55 Verses. after Chapter TArik "road, pattern". "all roads lead to ROme".
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:38 AM
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the second center is the moon, women, Earth, emotions, "orange" in colour, musical "RE", water, abdomens and ova, womb, genitals,
second above is hypophysis gland, indigo in colour, awareness, space, musical "LA", sound of flute.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:45 AM
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the balance of the pigeon and dove.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 6:46 AM
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we have come here with candle and street lamp. we have come here with love and gentleness. we have come here without cheating just for daily bread.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:32 AM
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also the girl with cancer in a show has married last week. FElicity Huffman had appeared without hair and with cancer. she already had appeared as married. the man with a face burnt married with his girl friend.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:37 AM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholson,_Victoria
is there any problem in Nicaea Bursa and Anglicanism, Her MAjesty?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:38 AM
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i warned the father of my fiancee for he would cooperate with Muhsin YAzicioglu, Her MAjesty had invited him to London for a speech, and Muhsin YAzicioglu is known as against Armenians.
is there any problem in Nicaea Bursa and Anglicanism, Her MAjesty? Turkcell the mobile phone company is with Russia so with Armenia too. and i warned the father of my fiancee to keep away from politics.
is there any problem in Nicaea Bursa and Anglicanism, Her MAjesty?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:42 AM
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and also i had barked to warn against cancer in the right breast too. so is there any problem in Nicaera Bursa and Anglicanism, Her MAjesty?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:43 AM
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and within the case in MAlatya and Human Rights Foundation Report teh arguments have not been completed yet, and i shall insist on Turkcell and other mobile phone companies should be included too.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:46 AM
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especially by means of government and ministry of interior. the lecturers in Medical Science FAculty at Ankara and HAcettepe Universities shall move to Diyarbakir, who had founded PKK were DOCTORS in Ankara University.
so is there any problme in Nicaea Bursa and Anglicanism, Her MAjesty?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:50 AM
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the retired generals directed DHKP-C, PKK, El KAide too. YAsar Buyukanit would have to purchase 300 Billions of USD armament. i had asked for that money to be used in education, here in OnFaith. YAsar Buyukanit had been with Russia and Putin.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:52 AM
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now Her MAjesty, from whom have Her MAjesty been informed about this author?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:53 AM
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now here in this forum by Jon MEacham and SAlly Quinn,
"In tough times, do those of us who handled our finances responsibly have a moral obligation to bail out those of us who didn't? Are we our brother's keeper economically"
i have verbalized these messages, with hope to change. we know that MHP shall be government soon, the neck of the bird was broken in Amsterdam.
so Her MAjesty, is there any problem in Nicaea Bursa and Anglicanism, in case of Philosophy and my musical profession ?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:56 AM
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now, the speed train taken from SPAin, made by Alarko MHP Deniz BAnk, is THY-YHT. the matter is, shall Ankara Istanbul Eskisehir be woven in these 8x2 times of journeys, as it is in sewing machine as a nail?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:58 AM
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sorry, not nail, by needle.
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 7:59 AM
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shall the pine tree be available in Anadolu, after Nicaea Bursa, Her MAjesty? Williams Bush? Viladimir Putin? or shall they be burnt down as they had been in Antalya?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 8:00 AM
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shall squirrels be on the trees? sparrows? nightingales? martins?
just sparrows?
Posted by: congratulations | March 4, 2009 8:02 AM
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Tim,
Your parents should be the best practice role models to all of the rest of us parents. I see you following in their footsteps of perseverance, faith, conviction, indomitable spirit, resilience and above all, love. I just hope I am the kind of parent, with actions of integrity, that my child will benefit from emulating. Your golden words about the young boy have touched my heart.
T
Posted by: DeafRap | March 4, 2009 9:06 AM
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test
Posted by: Lauren Keane | March 13, 2009 2:53 PM
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test
Posted by: Lauren Keane | March 16, 2009 1:35 PM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
Felicity is an English feminine given name meaning "happiness". It is derived from the Latin word felicitas meaning "luck, good fortune".[1] It is also used as a form of the Latin name Felicitas, taken from the name of the Ancient Roman goddess Felicitas.[2] It was also the name of Saint Felicity of Rome, a second-century saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. Felicia, a related name, is a feminine form of the name Felix, which is derived from an Ancient Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful."
Felicity Huffman
Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress. She is known for her role as Lynette Scavo, the hectic busy Super-Mom on the ABC hit show Desperate Housewives, which earned her an Emmy Award. A year later, her role as a transwoman in the independent film Transamerica earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination, and was praised by many critics. Huffman won eight significant awards, and was nominated ten times.
Happiness CAndle, MAn of Hope
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicity_Huffman
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/content/galeri/yeni/goster.asp?prm=0,533424&id=1&galeriid=5923#galeriStart