RELECTIONS ON THE DEATH AND LIFE OF A YOUNG ACTIVIST

• Dear friends of Voiceyourself,
• It has been some time since you've heard from us in this manner but since we are all inundated with so many emails blasts we tend to reach out only whenwe want to bring your attention to a particular event or action alert or concern. And we do this because we know your input will help steer us in a wise direction.Although Woody and Laura lead our efforts to work for change sadly today, we write to you about something that we cannot change, that is the inevitability of death. But how we choose to process death will impact the value and meaning of life.In this case we are talking about the death of 28 year-old humanitarian activist, Marla Ruzicka, killed on April 16 by a roadside bomber in Iraq.Her death impacted so many people worldwide but her death hit Woody and his friends personally and profoundly. We are fortunate to have them share their thoughts as contributing editors to VYS. Last weekend Woody and TomBallanco reached out to one another and we are able to share that with you today. Their brief exchanges are raw and reflect the powerful force of this young woman's extraordinary life. She was, for so many, a beacon of hope. In a few years. she founded and built a respected organization devoted to compensating Afghan and Iraqi families whose loved ones had been killed or maimed.While there have been worldwide testimonies published about her achievements, these exchanges help us to understand how these two friendsshouldered their grief for one another and in some way find meaning in her life lived with such valor.
• Please take the time to check out "The meaning of one woman's life andlegacy"http://tinyurl.com/7cum9
• Dave Frankel's OpenLetterhttp://tinyurl.com/8nmwr
• Then share you thoughts with us in the Forum threadhttp://tinyurl.com/dfhfk
• peace,Barbara