Something I learned with Elissa:

Written by the father of the little one the month prior to her passing away due to cancer.

"To live together with the good ones and peaceful is not difficult, because this is, naturally, pleasant; and every one, willingly, lives in peace and likes those who are of his opinion.

To be able, however, to live in harmony with rough and obstinate persons, is great grace and manly action and very laudable.

There are some that live in peace with themselves and with the others.

There are others who neither have peace with themselves, nor let others have it, being unbearable to others, they are it more to themselves.

There are even others who, maintaining themselves in peace, try to give it to those that do not possess it.

All the peace of this miserable life has to consist rather in suffering with meekness than in not feeling contrarieties.

Who knows better to suffer, enjoys of mayor peace because he will become victor of himself, lord of the world, friend of Christ and heir of heavens."

This is a thought of Fray Tomas de Kempis in the year 1441, and even today, after circa 600 years, I realise in my daughter, due to the way to confront adversities, that peace is not something we get because of the situation surrounding us, but that the REAL PEACE has to be within us, independent of any circumstance.

¡Christ is peace!

I have learned with my daughter Elissa, my only little daughter, that above all we have to be at peace – we have to be in Christ.

Erivalter Moreno de Moura - May 2002.

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Translated by ERNESTO RÜDE F.