A few months ago, many Pioneer Valley folks gathered to celebrate Wally Nelson's 93rd birthday. Throughout the evening, Wally wore my sweater draped across his lap like a blanket. What he might not have noticed is the pin that has been on that sweater for nearly twenty years. "Can't Kill The Spirit" it says. That pin has come with me to protests, to marches, to jail, to South America and to Africa. I needed the pin to remind me, because sometimes in the busy-ness of my life I forget.

Wally didn't need that pin. Wally Nelson was "Can't Kill the Spirit" incarnate. Wally's life was a testament to a spirit of justice that goes on and on and on. And Wally's unflagging spirit was a constant reminder to the rest of us to keep doing the work of creating a just and peaceful world.

By living as he lived, Wally reminded us that the choices we make matter. By refusing to give in, Wally reminded us that we don't have to compromise. Just by being who he was, Wally encouraged the rest of us to do just a little bit more for peace and justice. These are the gifts that Wally passed on many, many times over.

You can't kill the spirit. It is like a mountain. Old and strong, it goes on and on and on.

So will Wally. So will Wally.

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