José N. Harris

“Lay downYour tired & weary head my friend.We have wept too longNight is fallingAnd you are only sleepingWe have come to this journey's endIt's time for us to goTo meet our friendsWho beckon usTo jump againFrom across a distant skyA C-130 comes to carry usWhere we shall all wait For the final green lightIn the light ofThe pale moon risingI see far on the horizonInto the world of night and darknessFeet and knees togetherTime has ceasedBut cherished memories still lingerThis is the way of life and all thingsWe shall meet againYou are only sleeping.”

“Live isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.....it's about learning to dance in the rain.”

“Never let anyone break you down. You need to be strong enough to stand your ground and not let others crush your spirit or soul.There are sick people out there who get pleasure out of watching others suffer. You cannot let them make you fail or quit. That's your choice, not thiers. Hold your head high, stand your ground and don't ever let them see that thier evilness is getting to you.Do not believe thier lies. You know who you are. You are an awesome person. Keep faith. Maintain hope and know you can make it through anything. You've already been through a lot.If it feels like its getting to be too much, consider praying. And if that doesn't help... just call me up and you know I'll be there. You are never alone.”

“God does most of his works nowadays thru people. So does Satan.For a good part of my life I was an agent of darkness- committing a multitude of sins listed in the Bible... and perhaps a few that aren't even listed.Fortunately, at any given moment we are able to make a choice- and choose who we are going to be from this moment forward.We can leave the darkness behind and try to shed light on those who are lost in the darkness. I am the same person I have always been. At times I struggle to keep both my composure and my integrity. It can be hard, as we live in a world that is rich in hate, greed and selfishness. I am that same sinner, but every morning I get to choose to leave my old ways behind.I thank God that this morning, once again, I am strong enough to choose kindness. Its not an easy choice. But I've tried everything else. Kindness is the only choice I have left. And for that, I am grateful.”

“I don't hate anyone. but if someone I knew ever got hit by a bus... I'd probably be driving it.”

“I have learned not to focus too much on what's yet to come...and instead,I concentrate on today.”

“There is always a way to solve a problem, and even though I can't see it sometimes, I choose to believe that a solution always exists.”

“As I wish I could, live without water. As I wish I could, live without air. I wish I could, love you a little less.”

“God gives us all wings, and I'm using mine. The sun is out, And I have to fly, My wings will carry me. The wind will blow, And with my wings, I will reach the clouds, Shall I reach the sun? Nothing can stop me, I will spread my wings, As I do not fear falling, Today, I'll surely reach the heavens and kiss them.”

“I am a Veteran, as are most of my personal friends. A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. Regardless of personal or political views, there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact...”

“Avoiding moments of disillusionment... I don’t want dates on my calendar... If it comes to love. I do not want to hear any more cute songs. I do not want to see or send any flowers. Tell love not to touch my door. I'm not home. And please don’t come back tomorrow. I’m on vacation, a vacation away from love. Say goodbye for me. Love knows my reasons...”

“Truly, love is something a lot more than to sleep with someone else, more than just to talk with that person. It’s to think of that person, wanting them to be happy, to wish them well, to care about them, showing consideration, listening when they are happy or when they're sad, encouraging, it is to show your love, to make that someone feel special, it is always waiting to hear their voice, keeping them in your mind, in your thoughts, and in your heart.”

“Verdaderamente el amor es algo mas, que dormir con alguien, mas que hablar con alguien, es pensar en ese persona, en desear que sea feliz, desear su bienestar, tenerle carino, consideracion, escucherlo cuando esta feliz o cuando esta triste, animar a quien amas es demostrarselo, amar a ese ser especial, es esperar siempre escuchar su voz, es tenerlo presente en tus pensamientos y en tu corazon.”

“¿Qué es amor? Cuando yo estaba creciendo en las calles de Tijuana, soñaba estar enamorado. Mi ropa estaban vieja, pantalones gastados, agua de la calle pasaba a través de mis zapatos y calcetines, pero las estrellas todavía brillaban a través de mi alma...”

“Fake trust issues comes from insecurities...Real trust issues comes from being screwed over.”

“Beautiful people do not just happen.”

“Victim, volunteer or survivor... Which you are you? Its truly your choice!”

“Instead, I remembered that in the Bible, Jesus promised his followers that they would be provided with everything they needed, everything they “needed,” but not necessarily everything they wanted.”

“The bravest are the most tender; the most loving are the warriors...Its a yin-yang thing. Trust me!”

“The times in my life when something didn't feel completely right, but I went ahead and did it anyways... It usually turned out to not be the right thing to do!”

“Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. Other's might accidently get their toes stepped on. But life is changing all the time. So... Let's dance!”

“It's not about our struggles...It's about how we overcome them.”

“For just as I am certain of God and His existence, I am equally certain that one day we will meet... or meet again. And that will be a wonderful day!”

“Never apologize for showing your feelings. When you do, you are apologizing for the truth.”

“THE SHEEPDOGSMost humans truly are like sheepWanting nothing more than peace to keepTo graze, grow fat and raise their young,Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,They sense no threat nor fear no harm.On verdant meadows, they forage freeWith naught to fear, with naught to flee.They pay their sheepdogs little heedFor there is no threat; there is no need.To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,Roaming watchful round the peripheries.These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roarWith the fetid reek of the carnivore,Too like the wolf of legends told,To be amongst our docile fold.Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?They have no use, not in this day.Lock them away, out of our sightWe have no need of their fierce might.But sudden in their midst a beastHas come to kill, has come to feastThe wolves attack; they give no warningUpon that calm September morningThey slash and kill with frenzied gleeTheir passive helpless enemyWho had no clue the wolves were thereFar roaming from their Eastern lair.Then from the carnage, from the rout,Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”Thus is our nature but too our plightTo keep our dogs on leashes tightAnd live a life of illusive blissHearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.Until he has us by the throat,We pay no heed; we take no note.Not until he strikes us at our coreWill we unleash the Dogs of WarOnly having felt the wolf pack’s wrathDo we loose the sheepdogs on its path.And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;We love our sheep,we Dogs of War.Russ Vaughn2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment101st Airborne DivisionVietnam 65-66”

“Whever we experience a pain or a loss... we usually bounce back. Sometimes even stronger. That's called "resiliency." Why can we do that, come back stronger? The person who can explain that process and "teach" us how to better go through it will win the Nobel Prize one day. Til then, we're on our own!”

“Haters are alot like crickets. Crickets make alot of noise.You hear them, but you don't see them.But when you walk pass them... they STFU!”

“WITHOUT YOUI miss you more than ever and do not know what to do.I remember waking up at dawn,but can't expect to live another day without you.The mirror does not lie.I feel so different.I miss you you.People spend and spend as long as the pace of life seems wrong.I was so different when you were here.It was so different when you were here.There is nothing more difficult than living without you.I'm suffering in the hope to once again see.You get the cold out of my body and it asks for you.But I do not know where you are. . . If you had been here, I would be so happy.But there is nothing more difficult than living without you...”

“Would you save my soul tonight?”

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" -Isaiah 6:8”

“Most men like "no."We tend to like "yes" a whole lot better,But frequently we are happy enough with just a clear "no!”

“I want someone to love me for me, faults and all.Someone who cant fall asleep without being her last call.Someone who wants to be my last goodnight and my first hello.Someone who will hold my hand and not let it go.Someone who means it when she says, 'I will leave you never.'Someone who looks into my eyes and sees her... Forever.”

“You shouldn't really expect anything out of a relationship, if you aren't willing to put anything in it...”

“Each of our lives’ is a separate and precious journey. No matter how happy, sad, painful, tragic or confusing it may by, it is unique and beautiful. No matter if we hurt others or if we ourselves were hurt, it happened and it is part of our story. If we think we can have complete control over this journey, our journey will wake us up… usually with a very unpleasant surprise.More than genetics, money or education, it is our journey who defines who we are. It defines what kind of person you are. Not the experiences you encountered nor the happy or traumatic events you may have endured. But rather how we dealt with those events and how we continue to deal with those events; when we evaluate ourselves and how we treat others. Your journey is part of your story. But it is not the complete story of who and how you are. You are a soul, a spirit, who has traveled through this life and along the way; you learned and gathered bits and pieces from here and there. And you, yourself, have woven together a soul, a spirit. And that is who you are today. You define… you.Oh, and just in case you thought your journey, your story was over… surprise, its not. So keep weaving. You are not finished yet. It is never to late to define who you are.”

“You are my strength... and my weakness.”

“Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up from a dream.And sometimes, if you are very lucky, you wake up and it's real...”

“Somewhere, there is a Moatengator trained to kill you. He was trained with minimal food, water or sleep. He was trained day and night to think, to lead, and to survive under conditions so extreme, you might find them comical. He learned more about himself and camaraderie on his first trip into the jungle than most men learn in a lifetime. The only thing clean on him is his weapon. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs. His runs ends when it ends. This Moatengator is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or he may die and so may his Brothers. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is always at home. He knows only the jungle, his rifle and the Moatengator brotherhood.”

“Fighting can be like champagne. It can go to the head of a coward as quickly as of a hero. Anyone has the ability to be brave on a battlefield; when you are forced with the choice of: Be brave or... be killed.You may not realize it, but most of us have the chance to be heroes off the battlefield. When we take a stance and find our inner courage, instead of looking the other direction when we encounter evilness or oppression.”

“Make a wish,Open your eyes,Live your dream...”

“For some people, promises define who they are- their character, respect for themselves and others, and their integrity.For some people, promises define who they are- for some people, promises are just words.”

“Love everyone. Seek out the best that life has to offer and share it with everyone!”

“If you search for happiness does not take into consideration others that care about you, eventually, you will end up empty-handed...”

“Faith isn't supposed to make sense, at least not all the time. In that, it finds its power. It gets to creep up on you and carry you forward. Until you can carry yourself again...”

“Sometimes, we just have to be our own hero!”

“With enough tears, that knife that you feel stabbed through your chest, and aching in your heart, will disappear one day. And then,  your personal sun will reappear. Trust me! :)”

“THE FLOODOne day, there was a big flood and an old woman was trapped on her roof as the waters rose. A boat with two young men approached her and the men yelled out to her, "Lady, get off that roof and climb in this boat!""No, it’s alright! God is going to save me!" She replied.The men thought she was crazy, but the boat left and the waters rose.A second boat came. The water was at the edge of the rooftop - same thing, "I put my faith in the Lord! God is going to save me!" And so, they left too.A third boat came, the water was up to her neck- same thing, "God is going to save me!!!!" They too left, shaking there heads.After she drowned and went to heaven, the old woman was very upset. She stood before God angrily, "My Lord, I put all my faith in you. I knew you'd save me But you didn’t!!! Why not???"God replied back- "But lady... I sent you three boats!!!"MORAL: God still works miracles today. But if you are praying for a miracle, he is not going to send you down a box wrapped in shiny, silver, foil paper with ribbon and a fancy bow wrapped around it to solve your problems. Most of the time, today, God works His miracles through people.”

“Last night I had a nightmare. That me and someone I cared a lot about were playing a game in a pool. We'd take turns submerging ourselves under the water while the other person kept time.At one point it felt like the other person might be drowning, so  I jumped in to pull her up. She smiled and laughed and pushed me away. Then she turned blue and died. I could not resuciate her.I woke up at 3, sweating, in shock and pain. Frightened. But then I realized it was only a dream. But then I realized it was just like real life...Sometimes people we care about play risky games and then don't want our help. There is nothing we can do for them, no matter how much we care...”

“Victim" and "Volunteer" can often be the two sides of the same coin.”

“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”

“In my dream, I am not returning to Detroit to be with my parents. I'm not dreaming of being back in Mexico with my mom. I certainly don't dream to be back with Angelita! No, in my favorite dream, I go home... home to Nancy's house.”