Over 88 years ago, the 32nd President of the United States uttered a phrase which has now become synonymous with American history: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Why would he say such an audacious thing?
Was the nation not in the midst of a great depression?
Were people not justified in being afraid of destitution, illness and hunger?
To be certain, that iconic statement did not cure all of our nation’s ills, but it did do something of comparable significance: It created a foundation for the rejuvenation of our nation’s spirit.
Now, as was the case then, many of us - myself included - have felt frightened, resentful and uncertain. To feel this way is not inherently wrong, it’s human. The issue begins when we allow these emotions to fester within our very being, and to consume our every thought and action.
Traversing the physical and spiritual path ahead will not be easy, it seldom has been. But, just like the many peoples of this country have time after time, we shall overcome the situation at hand.
That same shared resilience will once again prove indispensable.
In that, we can find rejuvenation in our own time.
Jacob Mott
Chester