Hopes

It's been three years since the fateful events of this day occurred in New York.

I was still late at work rushing to get some papers finished for my boss at that time since he was traveling to Vietnam for the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting as a private-sector representative, and later on to join the President in Japan.

We received a call just past midnight that the news was sprayed all over the broadcast media. The mighty towers had been hit. America took a sucker punch - before the day was over, there was reported loss of around 2,800 lives. I doubt if there was less, but probably there were more unreported deaths that day.

I'll spare myself getting worked up over the catchwords of violence, living as we do in a culture of violence.

It was also around the time that I left one of my previous jobs - one of a series of messy break-ups some people would call abandonments. In fact it was just my second day at my job when the attacks took place. While I was not meant to be with the good folks at the consultancy I left - I did learn one thing from them.

It was how to put a capsule of hope into a set of statements that will define who and what I am. It was not the first time I tried to put my beliefs and values on paper, but this was the first time I had mastered all the tools to make sure I can make these beliefs come true. In a sense, these were not only the things I stood for, but also the things I had always hoped for to achieve in this life.

On this day where the world remembers atrocity, I would like to remember those whose heart-wrenching stories I have not yet heard, because I have been too privileged to encounter them in this life.

And so I renew my stands:

I stand for truth, love, beauty and goodness.

I stand as a concerned citizen of the world, willing to contribute what I can toward making this world a better place.

I stand for a world that is moved by change, yet molded by the ideals I hold dear.

I stand for the cooperative work of all people, able to share peacefully in the resources of this world.

I stand as a unique and special individual, deepening and sharing my intimate relationship with my Creator.

I stand, open and waiting for the challenges that each day would bring me.