We can't equate spending on veterans with spending on defense. Our strength is not just in the size of our defense budget but in the size of our hearts in the size of our gratitude for their sacrifice. And that's not just measured in words or gestures.

Grudge no expense - yield to no opposition - forget fatigue - till by the strength of prayer and sacrifice the spirit of love shall have overcome .

I was in uniform for four years and I know that heroism doesn't occur from taking orders but rather from people who through their own willpower and strength are willing to sacrifice their lives for an idea.

Ascetics and fakirs come to mitigate human suffering to heal us and lead us on the path. They put up with criticism they go through many worldly trials. Some of them have even become martyrs for our sake. But they have done all this with a smile and with gratitude to God. Hence sacrifice is a great virtue.

When I look back at those pictures of my mother performing - and listen to her recordings - it makes me sad to think that all of that joy she found in her work came to an end. I wish she hadn't had to make that sacrifice even if it was for the benefit of my father and siblings and me.

I get some of my ideas from watching my three daughters but most of them come from my own memories of growing up. I can remember how romantic I was not just about love but romance in the classic sense - the romantic ideals: of honor and truth of loyalty sacrifice and fairness. Those were the elements that made a story satisfying to me.

I was meant to date the captain of the football team I was going to be on a romantic excursion every Saturday night I was destined to be collecting corsages from every boy in town before prom accepting such floral offerings like competing sacrifices to a Delphic goddess.

Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing religion will always be sacrificed.

It was not a religion that attacked us that September day. It was al-Qaeda. We will not sacrifice the liberties we cherish or hunker down behind walls of suspicion and mistrust.

Gentleness self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.