105 years ago this Sunday, on July 17th 1906, Del Anderson was born in San Francisco amidst the rubble and destruction from the 1906 earthquake and fire.
“It seems that he was an incredible man who lived a very purposeful life to the end,” remarked Chingwell Mutombu of First Step Initiative, who recently learned about Del’s life and service through Spirit in Action. Indeed, Del was active in his prayer life and letter writing, with a goal to send several letters each day, until he left this earth in 2008.
Just before his 100th birthday, Del and his wife, Lucile, wrote, “both of us have discovered in our own ways that our desires today are to be more open to who we truly are, and knowing that, to be more loving, more caring, more understanding, less critical, and more accepting of ourselves and others. This is OUR way of growing peace in the world.”
This week, to honor Del’s birthday I repeat his 100th birthday request:
We request that people join us, wherever they are located, in focusing our prayers that day [July 17th] for peace, justice, and compassion for all people, including themselves and those closest to them.
We invite each person to join us in being open to his/her unique way of serving others.
As we celebrate Del’s long, purposeful life this week, let us consider our way of growing peace in the world and serving others who need a caring word or helping hand.
Happy birthday, Del!