All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

"All that is gold does not glitter, 

Not all those who wander are lost; 

The old that is strong does not wither, 

Deep roots are not reached by the frost. 

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, 

A light from the shadows shall spring, 

Renewed shall be blade that was broken, 

The crownless again shall be king."*

That which appears one way is not necessarily the way it is. Every part of life carries this truth, and it carries both ways. Not everything that is good straightaway appears good, and something that appears fair can yet be foul. 

In experiences, a golden moment or opportunity can be disguised as trash. It takes patience and vision to look beyond the outer appearance to see the value of the occurrence. 

Even if a fair conclusion cannot be reached in one's life time, who is to say that generations following will not be affected in an overtly positive was because of actions or experiences had by yourself or previous generations. 

This time of year always brings for me that rememberance of times past, of heroes who didn't realize they were heroes who gave up their lives, loves and comfort to fight for generations to come. Even generations that wouldn't remember their sacrifice, offspring who wouldn't appreciate the mud one had to dredge through, the blood of comrades one could never wash off, and the memories that haunted to the dying day. This, though it may be concealed as loss, as withering, as covered in waste, has more value than the highest amount if gold ever collected, the largest gem ever collected, and the most money ever spent. These were lives given for the generations to come. These were hopes and dreams dashed so that others' hopes and dreams could be realized later. 

This is truly a treasure worth finding and holding on to. 

Honor the sacrifice. We will remember them. 

*J.R.R Tolkien, Lord of the Rings