i have faith in thien, whose catholicism and passion for sustainability makes him a better steward of this earth than i could ever hope to be.
i have faith in ellen, whose time as a missionary for the Church of LDS somehow made her even more full of joy and altruism. i have faith in gabe, whose social media game is surpassed in strength only by his convictions.Īnd, as a nebraskan, i have crossed paths with a fair few christians. i have faith in ariel, who is jewish, but more importantly is equally fierce and warm in her pursuits of justice. I have faith in lacey, who is muslim, and works tirelessly and selflessly to help refugees make their way to the united states. and i have faith in the people who have the faith in God i never figured out. i have faith in the people who defy societal expectations by being good despite a lack of faith in a God. i have faith in poetry, and in the keys of pianos. i have faith in platelets, and politics, and purposeful, peaceful protest. she considered it a failing as a parent that i never quite mastered ‘faith’, but i would argue now that she did. What i’m trying to say to you is that religion has always been a weird part of my life, and to my mom’s dismay it’s been one i always met with skepticism. somehow this all created a little girl named leemah, brimming with wide-eyed wonder at the world, confused about the difference between Allah (SWT) and Zeus, but mostly curious about if perhaps they lived where rain fell from. That devout sunni muslim mother was also a doctor who instilled in me a love of science and greek mythology. i looked forward to Eid, fasted age-appropriate amounts for Ramadan, and to this day i consider lamb its own food group. the thing about Islam is it kind of starts to feel like all you ever do is pray. i didn’t eat pork (still don’t, most of the time).
i dressed modestly (still do, most of the time). i went to the equivalent of sunday school at our local mosque. I was raised by a devout sunni muslim mother. first united methodist church is always, always exceptional. I go to church every sunday that i’m home with them, and while this prayer time does sound exceptional, it isn’t much off of par for the course. Donna and I sat there with tears rolling down our cheeks for five minutes. During the prayer time a member of the congregation stood up and said “today I am a Muslim, pray for me.” Then another did, then another, then another, etc. This afternoon (as in, Sunday the 29th), Coyner texted me saying: I wish you had been at church with us today. “It’s late and your father will be home for dinner really soon.(and other things i never expected myself to say) “We have to leave, Woody,” she said, gently pulling him. But it was time for him to go home, and his mother reached down and placed her hand in his. The boy taking it all in was amazed by this gallant warrior, a man whose likeness alone instilled patriotism and courage. Behind his helm, an odd pack was slung over his back its contents were unknown to those viewing the statue in the gallery. It encircled his chiseled, bold face, which stared out with large, unblinking eyes toward distant nothingness. His head sported a massive helm that was forged in glass. The joints throughout were accentuated, and other decorations punctuated the suit’s appearance. On his legs, his sleek armor flared toward the bottom of his matching boots, a formidably streamlined appearance. There, it cinched into an accordion-style corset, allowing mid-section protection and flexibility.
The armor itself was fascinating cold and smooth and carved with care, it deviated only at the waist. The man it depicted was squat with massive pectoral girth, though his armor clearly contributed to the perceived heft of his upper torso. Enjoy!ĪD INFINITUM ET ULTRA read the plaque in front of the statue. It is as much an exercise in creativity as it is an exploration of grammar. My goal is to embrace the meaning of the word in some unique way, all the while trying out different styles, rhythms and characterizations. In this series, I will take the Word of the Day from and craft a short piece of creative writing around it.