September 2, 2007
WILLIAMSON VALLEY - Prescott native Kayla Mueller (click here) has spent most of her 19 years in the same house and attended local schools.
However, the outside world is at her back door, and she is broadening her horizons by moving away from home for the first time to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. An undeclared major, she said that she will consider anthropology, environmental science or international relations.
"I love cultures and language and learning about people's cultures," she said....
There are many young men and women that embrace the quality of life we enjoy in the USA and want to share it with the world so everyone can have a new benchmark to reach. I think Kayla was one of those young people that could not contain her love of her country and the potential she had in the world because she lived in the USA. She was a magnificent person and no one can take that away from her. I think for many who speak out against her life as being all that everyone ever believed of her; they find it difficult to come to understand her boundless generosity of spirit. She loved unconditionally and that is completely obvious.
I grieve a little differently for her. I was aware there were many NGOs sent to help the people of Syria. They were sent on missions of mercy to the humanitarian crisis. Little did any of the aid workers realize their capacity to administer some degree of comfort to the people would turn into a nightmare. I grieve the fact we as a world were not as insightful to their circumstances before they went forward selflessly to carry out compassion. I grieve for what I believed about her safety. Her loss because of what we believed to be true about the civil war and what appeared to be a safety margin because the soldiers had compassion for their people.
Now, add to that the fact Kayla was such a glorious person. She is precious in all aspects of her life. She is such a loss to this country I cannot imagine the USA ever making this mistake with their citizens ever again. The USA has to assess the dangers to such people differently. It has to acquire the authority to say "No." It has to say no to people leaving to carry out a mission of mercy.
Kayla has taught the world a great lesson. She has made me and others measure humanitarian crisis and compassion to plight differently. She is far to important to ever have this happen again.
I realize it is early to her loss for her family. One of the ways to honor her is to build a fund to provide young people with skills to discern their safety as well as their compassion. There is a common thread among the people we have lost in Syria. They were kind, compassionate and a bit naive to the value of their life as viewed from ruthless people.
Americans like to think they are survivors to any circumstances life has handed them, but, the fact of the matter is we have frailties. Kayla was never suppose to become a victim. Her life story will relate such a reality to others who have her interests. I hope the family finds a way to create a fund that will honor her name and portray her love of life.
There are no words that can diminish her life or her identity. For as wonderful as Kayla was, she had a family that contributed to her capacity to care.
My deepest sympathies.
I wish all that loved her peace.
