August 12, 2002
Dear DHS Class of 1968:
I would first want to thank Ken Piela, Diane and Frank Mariano, Lynn Tomanio Meeker, Janis Melillo and all who helped this committee make this event come to pass. With your help and others, we are continuing to overcome by our faith in God and support from all of you. Over the years, events like today's have much encouraged us to keep on keeping on.
We have overcome many odds. I have watched as my son overcame a lot; helping me out and graduating from college with honors 'magna cum laude". He will leave for Bible school in Oklahoma, tomorrow. A decision which he had a desire to make and made it. One which I applaud him on, I know he will come back a preacher.
My wife also overcame much; taking care of my needs and getting her masters from Fordham University. She would have had 'suma cum laude' honors but that school did not give them to Masters students. She also landed a job as social worker in the Waterbury school system and counsels after school hours for family intervention center in Waterbury. I am proud of both their accomplishments, while dealing with many other issues in their lives.
I also graduated from college from honors, but it was more like "thank you Lordy" instead of "cum laude" honors. Being a Christian, God's word has guided my steps in life. I wanted to share three scriptures I had found that apply to today. One of them is found in the Old Testament book of [Habakkuk] a prophet of God. It talks about a vision or dream that one has; Hab 2:3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Back this spring I had a vision of this event and friends I would like to invite in addition to those already invited. So I E-mailed them to Ken. Ken had been working hard on his own vision of this event. When we called him last week and he said he heard back from only one person, in my mind I had wondered if I was seeing straight in what I envisioned. Going by the attendance today, the scripture verse in the Bible held true because the first vision I had surely came to pass.
The next is in the New Testament in the book of Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. This scripture is important to me, because if I believe that God is behind the whole event and also my life, he will bring it to pass. So just be calm and confident. To quote a term from my high school days 'don't sweat the small stuff' . I know I'm dating all of us but so what. My basic point is I have to trust God in all issues of my life as well as this one. What thrills me the most is seeing people decide to look beyond the wheelchair and physical limitations that occur in my life and become part of the answer. They answer the call to help me continue to overcome. God hasn't finished the work in my life and neither have I and neither should you whatever the course may be. I know that a lot of people here have already come through different issues victoriously.
The last Bible verse that is appropriate for today is in the book of Romans. Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. In a month from now we will have the anniversary of the day, we as a nation, took steps to overcome evil done to us. Together as a nation we turned it around. The bad is always outdone with good in people.
Today the good comes out again.
With love,
Dave
