September 8, 2026. Youth is not a time of life, IT IS A STATE of MIND. It is not a state of rosy cheeks, Red lips and supple knees, It' s a matter of the will, A quality of the...Samuel Ullman

 Dear Jesus,

Samuel Ullman (1840–1924) was an American businessman, humanitarian, religious leader, and poet whose impact reached far beyond his lifetime.

 Born in Germany, he immigrated to the United States with his family at age 11, initially settling in Mississippi. After serving in the Civil War, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1884. 

In Birmingham, Ullman became a fierce, progressive advocate for civic and educational rights. He served on the city's first Board of Education for 18 years, famously fighting to advance educational access and benefits for Black children during an era deeply hostile to racial equality. He entered semi-retirement in 1908 and dedicated his final years to writing essays, letters, and poetry. 

 The Poem: "Youth"

In 1918, at the age of 78, Ullman penned his masterpiece, "Youth". The prose poem frames youth not as a span of years, but as a dynamic state of mind anchored in courage, imagination, and hope. 

Youth is not a time of life,

IT IS A STATE of MIND.

It is not a state of rosy cheeks,

Red lips and supple knees,

It' s a matter of the will,

A quality of the imagination,

A vigor of the emotions,

It is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Nobody grows old by the mere number of years.

We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin,

But to give up the enthusiasm wrinkle the soul.

Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart,

And turn the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen,

There is in every human’ s being heart,

The lure of wonder,

The unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next,

And the joy of the game of living.

Samuel Ullman

 The Global Phenomenon

While relatively obscure in America during his lifetime, the poem achieved legendary status abroad due to General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur kept a framed copy of "Youth" on the wall of his office in Tokyo during the post-WWII allied occupation of Japan and frequently quoted it in his speeches. 

The message deeply resonated with a war-ravaged Japanese public. It became a foundational inspiration for Japan's post-war economic recovery and remains deeply revered today as a top-five text among Japanese corporate management and business leaders (including Sony co-founder Akio Morita). 

 The Samuel Ullman Museum

The Samuel Ullman Museum is located at 2150 15th Avenue South in Birmingham, Alabama. It is housed inside the very home where Ullman spent the last 17 years of his life and wrote his most famous poetry. 

The Rescue Story: In the early 1990s, after a visiting Japanese executive expressed a desire to see where Ullman lived, local and international forces realized the home was in danger of being demolished. The Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC) in Japan raised funds from citizens across the country to purchase, save, and restore the house. 

The Museum Today: Opened in March 1994, the museum is operated by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). It remains a major point of interest and pilgrimage site, particularly for Japanese tourists and business professionals. Visitors can take self-guided tours to explore Ullman's civic legacy, his poetry, and his enduring global impact.

Dear Jesus,

When walking with you, I experience that what Samuel Ullman wrote is true.

With You, there is no time and space.

Walking and living with You, without counting time, without counting how old I am today, because You have shown me to nurture the ideal of living to LOVE and SERVE my brothers and sisters in whatever way possible.

You are the fountain of youth, and You pour that youth energy into my soul every morning, so that I may continue through life, even though life is full of challenges.

You give me the enthusiasm to renew my soul.

You help me to dispel fear, anxiety, restlessness, and self-doubt, because You say:

 “Beloved little child, where I am, you are.”

You help me to keep a childlike heart, living in complete surrender, like a child with his Father, because the Father always holds my hand, guiding me on my path.

You give me more vitality and enthusiasm, to hold firm to the ideals and zeal of my twenties, so that as long as I am in this world, I will continue to sow the Words of Love, Hope, Comfort, and the Living Word of Yours on the paths I walk…

                                                      Phương Tuấn