For 700 years Georgia (the country) and Armenia were the border between the Roman Empire and a series of Iranian empires.
For 700 years the people of Georgia and Armenia held on the best they could as two Empires fought over their border- a border that ran right through Georgia and Armenia.
Empires that protected peace and prosperity everywhere else fought over Georgia and Armenia- simply because of geography, because that was where the border happened to be.
Later on, for centuries the Ottoman Empire and the Empire of Iran fought over Georgia and Armenia in exactly the same way. And the Georgians and Armenians held on the best they could.
Finally Russia came in. And it was a three-way fight.
And through it all, the Georgians and Armenians never gave up hope. Never blamed the Empires- it wasn't their fault that the border between an Empire based in Iran and an Empire based in the Mediterranean just naturally passes through Georgia and Armenia. It's just Geography.
And so through it all, the Georgians and Armenians never blamed the great Empires. And they never gave up hope. They learned to make the best of a bad situation, and they learned to hold on through the night.
And they held on to their culture. They held on to their unique language, they held on to their Christian religion which they themselves chose on their own in the time of Constantine.
And when an opportunity presented itself, like today, they rebuilt the best they could.
And Armenia and Georgia are doing better than most former Soviet countries in Asia where they do not have the help of the European Union. It's not purfect, but they are free, and they are not too poor, and they have their own Republic.
We could all learn from Georgia and Armenia.
We could all learn to hold on through the long dark night.
Especially here in America, and in places like Afghanistan and Haiti.
Look to Georgia and Armenia.
They made it. You can make it. We can make it. And we will. We will make it.
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson