“Does the light of the lamp shine without losing its splendor until it is extinguished; and shall the truth which is in thee and justice and temperance be extinguished [before thy death]?” – Meditations 12.15

At the beginning of my current journal, I wrote, “Perseverance is an obligation.” I tried to find words that would reflect what I believed the overall mood of the journal to be, and I quickly found that it was applicable to much more than just that journal. 

Perseverance, to me, is one of the most respectable attributes a person may have. Perseverance in the face of evil or misfortune, especially, commands great regard. 

The first person who comes to mind when I think of perseverance is my partner – and soon-to-be wife. She was born with a rotten hand in a rotten land, was forced to live on next to nothing, and was the undeserving object of her mother’s ire. 

And she is still here – and thriving. 

It truly makes me proud to see who she has become and is still becoming. We have known each other for four years and been together for three and a half, and the respect and admiration I feel for her grows every day. It continually amazes me that, despite our very different upbringings, we converged on the same values and goals. And this is because she persevered and made the most of a bad start. 

Similarly, we all must strive to persevere in the face of the evil and injustice spewing forth from the world’s current authorities. I am fortunate enough to live in an area unaffected by these spurious wars, and it is not lost on me that, especially in these days, that is a mark of privilege. 

Thus, I feel that resistance and perseverance is even more necessary on the part of all those who share that privilege. It is human nature to become fatigued – I certainly have had my moments of exhaustion – but it is also human nature to persist against all odds. 

There are innumerable examples throughout history of the undying human spirit, and more examples emerge with each passing day. 

We are living in the history books, so to speak, and our stories will be told for generations to come. Be on the right side of history.