We Love You, Thank You and Work to Honor You

An Open Letter
To: Dr. Maya Angelou
Subject: We Love You, Thank You and Work to Honor You
Dear Dr. Angelou,
Even in your passing today, your heart, thoughts and spirit continue to live and thrive in all of us that you have touched, moved and inspired throughout your life. The full spectrum of life’s richness, pain, possibility and disparity is ever-present in your story.
Mindful and loving, muse, mother, artist, academic and humanitarian—you have been so much to so many—our high priestess for living passionately, loving the opportunity that life is and in the process, advocating, to the fullest extent possible, for the well being of all.
With little irony, in a statement released today, President Obama quoted your own words to convey his sentiment and one shared by so many, about the news of your passing. Penned by you last year regarding the loss of your personal friend Nelson Mandela, you wrote
no sun outlasts its sunset, but will rise again, and bring the dawn.
In his statement today President Obama added several personal thoughts, many of which will long live on in the hearts of others, two of which I desire to reiterate here
you helped generations of Americans find their rainbow amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves.
With a kind word and a strong embrace, she, (Dr. Angelou), had the ability to remind us that we are all God’s children; that we all have something to offer.
Thank you Dr. Angelou for all that you have been. Please continue to grace us with the presence of your warm embrace, keen observation, powerful perspective, inclusive disposition, tenacious strength, inspired commitment, shared voice and advocacy for all.
In the many pursuits associated with achieving our shared mission of creating a healthy, just and empowered world for all, we remain arm and arm, as we were yesterday, today and always will be.
Team Oceanseed Project
Postscript:
We include below a few of our favorites from your amazing, powerful body of work, that we have enjoyed reading aloud today with each other in your honor.
- I’ve Learned
- Caged Bird
- Still I Rise
- Willie
- Maya Angelou on living
I’ve Learned
I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Caged Bird
Phenomenal Woman
Still I Rise
You may write me down in history
Willie
Maya Angelou on living
Sources:
- “I’ve Learned”
- Recording of Maya Angelou read her poem “And Still I Rise” courtesy of NPR
- “And Still I Rise” from And Still I Rise.
- “Phenomenal Woman” from And Still I Rise.
- “Caged Bird” from Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing?
- The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (Random House Inc., 1994)
- Maya Angelou interview from the April 2011 edition of O, the Oprah Magazine (2011)
- Header Photo
Left: President Barack Obama awards the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Maya Angelou in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House February 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) http://goo.gl/CRv8J2
Right: Maya Angelou reciting her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the 1993 Presidential Inauguration of William J. Clinton. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. January 20, 1993. (William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum) http://goo.gl/vYFoDF