In a book called A LONG WAY GONE written by Ishmael Beah about his experience as a child soldier in Sierra Leone, there is a quote which stuck with me -
"We must strive to be like the moon... people complain when there is too much sun and it gets unbearably hot, and also when it rains too much or when it is cold. But, no one grumbles when the moon shines. Everyone becomes happy and appreciates the moon in their own special way. Children watch their shadows and play in its light, people gather at the square to tell stories and dance through the night. A lot of happy things happen when the moon shines..."
I guess one could interpret this in quite a few ways after finishing the book, but to me it is simply saying -
Don't be like the sun - occasionally scorching those who stand too long in your presence.
Don't be like the rain - leaving people uncomfortable and wishing to escape to some shelter.
Be an agent of tranquility and peace in the world, bring out the best in others, basically - just be like the moon.
:-) As always, thanks for reading. AMDG.
