About two months ago this poem by Mother Teresa was shared with me and so I have been waiting for her birthday to post it – which is today – she would have been 105 years old.
This poem speaks for itself and I am glad to have had it referred to me, Thank you Ellen, one of My Three Muses!
Mother Teresa: “Do It Anyway” Poem
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
-The Poem is credited to Mother Teresa as reportedly inscribed on the wall of her children’s home in Calcutta and attributed to her on the PrayerFoundation.org site and references it is based on an composition originally by Dr. Kent M. Keith from 1968 from “The Paradoxical Commandments” as part of a booklet for student leaders.
Mother Teresa U.S. Stamp
On Linn’s Stamp News site site today they have a really nice article recognizing her birthday along with the commemorative stamp issued in 2010. “Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun who established humanitarian services for the poor in India and other countries around the world, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, 105 years ago. A 44¢ commemorative stamp honoring Mother Teresa (Scott 4475) was issued Sept. 5, 2010, two weeks after her 100th birthday, and 13 years to the day after her death on Sept. 5, 1997. …For her efforts, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She received honorary United States citizenship in 1996. … In October 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II.” (On Twitter @LinnsStampNews)
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Blog from September 14, 2010 had this article about the stamp: “U. S. Postal Service Issues Mother Teresa stamp”:
“The U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp in appreciation of the extraordinary humanitarian service of Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun, on September 5, 2010…” The article goes on to show photos from the First Day of Issue ceremony for the stamp dedication.
Thank you to PrayerFoundation.org @LinnsStampNews and @PostalMuseum who are referenced in today’s blog post.
Here’s to our moving forward and “Do It Anyway”!
Anchors Aweigh,
Helen
