if adversity and hopeless grief have quite taken away the taste for life; if an unfortunate man, strong of soul and more indignant about his fate than despondent or dejected, wishes for death and yet preserves his life without loving it, not from inclination or fear but from duty, then his maxim has moral content.

Their locked hands offered a stark reminder of how many scars lingered … shards of war and distressing anguish forever branded them. Yet in this endearing moment of comfort, their adversity became skinspeak between survivors phoenixing from the ashes of their perilous journey—their burning eagerness for survival overcoming the forces that once tried to stifle their light.

... when it seemed at every turn that the winds of fate had blown our lives afoul, financially, emotionally, or idealistically. Look at all that we endured. Look at all we managed to light along our path through the long shadow of adversity. Look at the seemingly indestructible affiliation that was once us. And look at us now.

Without darkness, we may never know how bright the stars shine. Without battles, we could not know what victory feels like. Without adversity, we may never appreciate the abundance in our lives. Be thankful, not only for the easy times, but for every experience that has made you who you are.

Visit Cape Town and history is never far from your grasp. It lingers in the air, a scent on the breezy, an explanation of circumstance that shaped the Rainbow People. Stroll around the old downtown and it's impossible not to be affected by the trials and tribulations of the struggle. But, in many ways, it is the sense of triumph in the face of such adversity that makes the experience all the more poignant.

“When I look back on the last three season, there's been a lot of adversity. I've seen this team grow so much. It's neat to experience what we've experienced this season. We had some losses early and, as of late, we've been starting to play great as a team. It's been really fun.”

“There's nothing tough (about basketball. All I have to do is remind him how I was brought up and how I was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., around the peer pressure and everything. This is nothing compared to that. Everything he's learned in that aspect it's just toughened him up even more to face this kind of good adversity.”

“Dealing with adversity is something you just can't coach or teach. You just have to deal with it. In a way, it's been nice because we're all learning and growing. Once we got past the stage where we were making errors, we started to understand what we are capable of doing. There's always a chance.”

“What the big issue is going to be is how much of an adverse visual impact it has, ... We haven't even begun to look at all the different options. Can it be moved? Can it be painted white? There are all these different values to consider and there's lots of opportunity for compromise to minimize the visual impact and still provide the cell coverage people need.”

“This group can overcome adversity. They just had to realize they could. We've learned more about ourselves and that we're a lot better team than the record indicates. There's a lot of heart and determination in them. We hope we can get by Dan River. You never know what can happen in a tournament like that.”