· We have to make an effort to extend our natural compassion, not just through prayer or reciting nice words, but by putting our intelligence to good use. That’s how we’ll become happy ourselves, and how our family and community will be happier. One thing that distinguishes us as human beings is our ability to extend our natural feelings of compassion, to other human beings and ultimately to the whole of humanity
Tell me what you think about some of the DR. Seuss books being taken off the shelves. The books that I learned to read from in elementary school called, Dick and Jane are also being taken off the shelves. I don’t know if all or part.
It seems to me that sooner or later, everything will be taken off the shelves because it may offend someone.
We are all equal, the Bible tells us so. Why does this have to keep going on and on?
It wasn’t long ago that there was no worry or pain nor hurt. Do you remember that era? I do, it was when I was a young girl. Riding my bike, seeing how fast I could peddle, jumping rope, racing against my own legs. Swinging on the school swings. I can still hear my voice as I laughed full of freedom. Let’s see how high we can go!
Realizing when we got home from school our parents would be there or an entrusted sitter. We didn’t wonder if there would be a snack to eat, we knew it. We didn’t go straight to our room and throw our bodies on the bed and weep for what was to come.
I don’t think I actually felt a deep pain until my first break-up with my boyfriend in high school. I really believe for me, this is when I began to question who I was. Oh, I didn’t question the deep brain thoughts, I questioned my hair style, my clothes and probably my weight. I fretted about what the kids in school would say when they learned that WE were no longer going steady. Would I be able to handle seeing him without wanting to die?
Oh to have some of the simplistic life today. I still ponder on life but in different ways. I now no longer worry what people say about my clothes, because the major underside is comfort. I need comfort to be able to function from my gut problems of daily swelling. I don’t worry about make-up anymore because I rarely go out. I do think about how I look when my daughter comes to visit. I guess I never want her to see through me and guess my pain, so it is easier to play dress-up.
Today, I wake up and immediately thank God for a new day. I tell him my concerns and I pray for my children and their relationships and I pray for our President and our country. I ask him for strength to get through the day and I ask him for his healing.
Today, I still try to think of little things I can do or say to others. I believe we all, more than ever, need to know we are loved and needed. I believe that one smile is worth feeling alone. I firmly believe in Peace today. Peace within myself. Realizing that I made a ton of mistakes growing up and raising my family and peace that I can not go back and change one thing.
I want to know when that day arrives that Jesus lifts me up, I will have forgiven myself and that I am going to a beautiful home. When I look back, I smile at myself, at the progress I have made. I am far from being where I need to be, but I am making progress. I am what I would consider, a work in progress.
I am generally not one who picks at things but I can’t help but notice the media, and I won’t mention any particular one, but in general, we do get our news from the internet, TV news, or radio, can cause an uproar.
I am beginning to feel like someone wants us to be upset, to notice the negative around us. I notice we are not one people anymore, oh, we really are but someone wants us to be divided.
On the news, I hear statements like,” A young, black lady.” Why? Why do they say that? Isn’t the story what we are really interested in and not the color of the skin? Would it make the story any different if the color of the skin was purple polka dots? Why not just simply say, “A young lady.”
Are colored people the only ones who riot? Are whites the only ones who are of wealth?
I just don’t like it. God created us all equal in his eyes.
God’s word is very clear in telling us that all men are created equal and every single person can be a child of God, receiving the full inheritance of heaven. We can look toward the Bible to learn how to love and serve everyone no matter what their age, color, or ethnicity, gender or nationality.
I just wish our countries would work on stop the dividing instead of becoming divided because it doesn’t have to be this way.
Low angle portrait of a group of young businesspeople huddled together in solidarity
Well, within minutes, we exchange one year for another. People get real pumped about the new year coming in. I think more than usual this year because of the unwelcome things that entered into our lives.
It wasn’t just our close ones that upset or worried us. We had to hear and read about our government and our hospitals. We learned about the common families that lives were turned upside down.
We heard of more hunger, that was not outside our own country. We learned to go back to some of our basic skills that were taught to us while young. We pulled together in many areas and used our hearts and minds and thought of various ways to help our neighbors.
This last sentence warms my heart. Isn’t that what we were placed on this blue marble for in the beginning? John 15:12: This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.
It is when we remember what we learned as children, that the world will finally begin to bring balance together. No one will look different in color, race or gender. We will look at each other as our neighbor.
I pray that we see more calm and dedication in the year 2021.
A beautiful home, red brick, pretty painted windows, lots of shrubs. This is where she lived. A woman of age, a lady of many stories, a mother and wife. This is where Anna lived, here with her son and his family.
It was a joy to come here five days a week, to care for her. We would watch television together. I would fix her dinner and give her her nightly medications. When I saw the second yawn, I would ask her if she was ready to start preparing for bed and she would give me that delicate smile and nod her head yes.
This was pretty much our routine nightly. The only real change would be when her son and family were all home together and when I would walk in, I was usually invited to sit and enjoy supper with them. I always accepted.
It was during these precious moments that I was given the opportunity to get to know about this family and learn more about the history of the lady I was caring for. I really did enjoy these meals and family time together. After weeks went by, I actually felt a part of this entire family.
One of the biggest topics that were spent over dinner was about flying. Father loved everything about flying. In fact, the entire time I cared for his mother, he was taking flying lessons. He would tell us all about the feelings and rushes that he had while in the plane.
The family talked about the adventures they would take after dad got his pilot license. The three kids would always jump up from their seats and ask when they would get a turn. I could see the love in all of their eyes as they looked excitedly towards the next months.
There came a time when it all came to end, as life usually does give us changes we don’t like. The lady I cared for passed away. I was very sad and also sad that I didn’t get to intertwine with the family any longer. I went to the funeral of course and I kept in touch with the family, but you know how it works, times ticks by and life moves on.
I hadn’t heard from these nice people in sometime and then on New Year’s eve, I was glancing through the news on the internet and there it was. There was an accident, a plane accident. Two people died. It was the pilot with the new license and his wife. They had been flying their first trip and hit a low area. They were instantly killed.
My heart broke in two and when I think of them today, my heart still breaks. I told you this true story because I want you to remember this on New Year’s eve, when you are believing your thinking is good enough after only a few drinks to drive. Don’t, don’t do it, don’t drink and drive. It only takes one blink of an eye and life can change everything, as you knew it.
Who I am 