I'd like to share an essay my daughter wrote for her Latin class.
“Non nobis solum noti sumus.”
A personal essay
“Non nobis solum noti sumus.”
We are not born for ourselves alone. This is a very potent phrase. It is a very plain and simple motto that rings true in the lives of many people today. When Cicero originally wrote it in Ancient Rome for his work
De Officii, it was intended to remind politicians of their true purpose. They were not meant to serve only themselves and their own ends, but those of the general populous. This phrase stood as a monument to the common good.
In today’s society, there are many occupations that are based on this very principle. Politicians, doctors, lawyers, social workers, civil servants, the list goes on. However, the most prominent one in my own life is that of the soldier.
My father is a Commander in the United States Navy. At the beginning of last year, he was set overseas and stationed in Baghdad. There, he and his fellow countrymen live out Cicero’s doctrine every day.
We are not born for ourselves alone. This sentence is the very backbone of their job. Everyday, these valiant men and women place themselves in harm’s way with the express purpose of serving others before themselves.
Many of these courageous people have died in the name of the common good. Their sacrifice was made in the hope that we would benefit in some way. Those who survive will return home and later on, fight again. All of this, they do for us. All of their blood and sweat and tears only further cements the concept of “Non nobis solum noti sumus.”
Everyday, my family and I must handle my father’s duty in our own way. We worry when he goes out and we sigh with relief when he returns to his compound unharmed. However, despite our anxieties, we are infinitely proud of what he and his fellow soldiers are doing. It takes great strength to place others before yourself and even greater strength to do so when you know that the act will place you in the line of fire.
Cicero spoke truly when he said that we are not born for ourselves alone. My father proves that to me everyday. Were it not for the people who live this creed, day in and day out, society, as we know it would surely perish and no one would be able to sleep soundly in their beds. But, luckily for us, there are those brave, valiant people who take it upon themselves to help others before themselves. Luckily for us, because of them, we can live without fear.
Cheers, Pearl
