Thank you, Captain Sir Tom Moore

People's hero: Captain Sir Tom Moore

"To all those people who are finding it difficult at the moment, the sun will shine on you again, and the clouds will go away," Captain (later Sir) Tom Moore said. "Tomorrow will be a good day."

In the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic he emerged as a beacon of light and hope. Captain Sir Tom Moore, as he became once knighted by Queen Elizabeth II last summer, represented the spirt of the nation - and humanity in general - during the great challenge of our time.

It started in April 2020, with much of the world in lockdown as the pandemic spread. Captain Tom captured the hearts of the nation when he set himself a target of walking 100 lengths of the patio at his home to raise 1,000 pounds for charities that support the National Health Service. He aimed to complete his 100 laps, using a stroller, before his then upcoming 100th birthday.

He did it, and in the process gained national prominence and became a rallying point, a symbol for hope, and much more. He had lived and served through the Second World War, and had 100 years of life experience to draw upon. He was also one of us, and reflected and articulated the simple hopes many had but were afraid to utter. When those "sun will shine again" words came from a man of such longevity and worldly-experience, they meant much. 

He achieved his goal of 100 laps, and the public responded. Close to 33 million pounds was raised for the charities supporting the NHS.

Captain Sir Tom died this week, and there is a great feeling of loss. I reflected on what he embodied  as I sat, coincidently, in a place known as "Tom Moore's Jungle" in Bermuda, although it has no connection to Captain Sir Tom.

In a blog post last June, I mentioned Captain Sir Tom as I wrote about the surreal pandemic experience.  His humble humility and spark of belief lifted the hearts of the people in the United Kingdom and far beyond.

I salute you Captain Sir Tom, and I'm thankful to have had you in our midst.