Gratitude Friday 8-25-23 – Liberation

Today is the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Paris. The US Third Army, led by General George S. Patton came into the city and the people were freed. Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of the German garrison and military governor of Paris, surrendered to the French at the Hôtel Le Meurice. French General Charles de Gaulle assumed control as head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. A family friend was a child, living in Paris during the occupation recalls SS officers roaming the city and seeing US bombers flying overhead. Liberation was very real for her on that day in Paris.

Through the liberation of Paris, we freed foreign nationals from totalitarian occupation and helped to support the people of France to reestablish their own government. It is an example of our nation living up to our principles. The theme of this gratitude Friday is liberation in its myriad of forms. It is what we are capable of when we are at our best. It is a topic I feel in my heart as a person in recovery, being freed from a far different type of foreign occupation. Some quotes here on liberation to reflect on:

“In ancient times, the greatest source of freedom was believed to be self-knowledge, in the Middle Ages - self-discipline, in the modern era - self-determination, while today it is believed to be self-satisfaction. The first liberates the mind, the second the spirit, the third the will, while the fourth - the desire to get rid of the other three.” ― Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski

“Real liberation comes not from glossing over or repressing painful states of feeling, but only from experiencing them to the full.” ― C.G. Jung

“No pedagogy which is truly liberating can remain distant from the oppressed by treating them as unfortunates and by presenting for their emulation models from among the oppressors. The oppressed must be their own example in the struggle for their redemption.” ― Paulo Freire

“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” ― Rosa Luxemburg

“When you suffer because of discrimination, there's always an urge to speak out. But even if you spend a thousand years speaking out, your suffering won't be relieved. Only through deep understanding and liberation from ignorance can you be liberated from your suffering.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

“Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people--they manipulate them. They do not liberate, nor are they liberated: they oppress.” ― Paulo Freire

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

“I am sorry for those who have never had the experience of seeing the victory of a national liberation movement, and I feel cold contempt for those who jeer at it.” ― Christopher Hitchens

“I’m not saying we’ll live to see some sort of paradise. But just fighting for change makes you stronger. Not hoping for anything will kill you for sure.” ― Leslie Feinberg

“As is well known, beating a dead horse doesn’t bring it back to life – it simply makes its death louder and noisier. Therefore, sometimes it is more useful to look for new horses (new options) than beat dead ones.” ― Louis Yako

“Liberation under oppression is unthinkable by design” ― Erica R. Meiners

“I asked, does she think she's liberated? Bailey said, as if he had always known it, some folks say they want change. They just want exchange. They only want to have what the haves have, so they won't have it anymore....” ― Maya Angelou

“Every time there is a protest or a march. They will be instigators and opportunist. Not everyone who is here, is on our side and is supporting what we are fighting for.” ― De philosopher DJ Kyos

“Liberation is a love that is big enough to encompass all society, and active enough to transform it. It is a love that dismantles oppression, recognizing that our oppressions are intertwined.” ― Victoria Law and Maya Schenwar

We yearn to be liberated. It is in our essence. I found liberation from addiction, which has allowed me to live free and pursue purpose and connection, one example of this dynamic. Today, I honor the liberators, in all their forms, not just those who marched into the city of light 79 years ago today to end oppression, but to all those who pursue freedom from bonds and those who help do so in a myriad of ways. I am grateful for the opportunities afforded me in life as a result of all my freedoms. We are capable of great good when that is what we endeavor to do.

What are you grateful for today?