Lessons to be Learned...

As I sit here in the quiet of the early morning, I can hear the birds begin to sing outside and see the first sliver of daylight beginning to appear on the horizon. The grandchildren spent the night and I'm up early to get a jump on my day before they awaken. I have been watching a recent episode of 20/20 in which the miners from Chile are being rescued. Hats off to them for being able to survive in that place for 69 days. They must be very strong mentally to be able to stay down there for so long and not have a complete breakdown! I am quite impressed with the way in which the whole situation was handled, from start to finish. The Chilean president stepped up and offered his help when he realised the mining company would never be able to rescue them on their own. They would surely have died down there. Sebastian Pinera not only offered his help to the mining company, but he wasted no time in asking other countries for their help and expertise. Several countries responded by sending the best of the best to help rescue the miners. Kudos to Sebastian Pinera! He is not too proud to ask for help for his people. He was also there for his people when an earthquake struck Chile earlier this year. Within a few hours, he had crews on the streets cleaning up the rubble and beginning the search and rescue for trapped citizens. I think our country could learn a lot from his example. It seems to me that had the miners been trapped in a mine here in our country, it would have been left completely to the mining company to figure out how to get them out. Rather than focusing on a rescue, there would have been a lot of finger pointing and congressional hearings regarding safety, and fines being levied against the company. Let's take a lesson from Mr Pinera, America!

Out Walking....

As some of you may know, I have been walking/jogging for about the last five months. And I have also managed to drop about 50 pounds while doing it (small pat on the back ). I usually go walking in the evenings after work when the sun starts to set and things cool down a little. I really enjoy those evening walks because you never know what you will see or who you might meet.
Tonight I left the house at seven o'clock and headed up the street in my usual fashion. I had almost reached the end of our street when I saw this older woman coming towards me walking with her chihuahua. As I began to walk past her, I noticwe her lips move like she's saying something. I couldn't hear a thing with my headphones on and my IPod playing loudly, so I quickly removed the earphones from my ears and asked, "ma'am?" She said, "It sure is nice to be able to get out, isn't it?"
"Yes," I replied, "the weather is beautiful " as I proceeded to walk past her. She stopped me though. I don't know why, but she wanted to chat with me. I did not know her, had never seen her before. I walked past her house everyday though. She wanted to talk, so I decided to be polite to the old gal and let her talk. I was certainly not in any hurry.
She began by telling me about her daughter and son-in-law. She is a teacher, although I'm not sure where. Their children have grown and now they want to adopt a seven year old girl who had been through several foster homes. The old woman began clucking her tongue and saying she didn't approve of it. That's when I knew why I was there. Adoption is an issue close to my heart. I very politely explained to the woman that adoption should not be frowned on. I explained how it could be good for the child and the parents. I also told her that I felt this poor girl only needed a stable place to call home and someone to love. She needs to know what a real family feels like. After about 20 minutes of such discussion, the mosquitoes were biting and I was ready to leave.
She thanked me before I left. Told me how nice it was to meet me and how much she had enjoyed our conversation. She welcomed me to come back another day. I felt as though I had accomplished something very important, and I truely hope I have. I hope she will welcome the girl with open arms, and remember our conversation. And I hope that someday soon, our paths will cross again.

A Happy Reunion!

Since joining Facebook, I have had the oppportunity to reconnect with many of my classmates from high school. Although it's been 26 years since graduation, many of them still look the same to me. The picture on the left is a picture of me with two of my best friends from high school. Lisa is on the left and Theresa on the right. We were like the three musketeers back then. Theresa's mom, Pixie, was mom to all of us. Over the fourth of July weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to drive to Mishawaka with my husband and reunite with old friends. Friends I haven't seen in over 20 years. It was very exciting for me to see them! We hugged, held each other and cried! Talking about things we did back then was a trip back in time for me. I was also able to see some folks who had been friends of my parents. As I was leaving, I was told that I look just like my mom used to. I cried like a baby. Hearing that meant a lot to me. Since reconnecting these people, I hope I will now see more of them. They are an important part of who I am today....and I dearly love them all.

Memorial Day

As we think about Memorial Day and what it means to us, I want to remember not only the soldiers who serve our country, or the soldiers who went before them, but also the families of those soldiers. The mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, and children of these soldiers. They give up so much every day. The child growing up without mom or dad because they are away at a war they don't understand in some foreign country. Or the parents, answering that knock at the door, only to be told their son or daughter won't be coming home. And what about the husbands and wives of these soldiers? They raise their children the best they can, hoping their spouses return home safely, and praying each day. They are as brave the soldiers they love, because they believe. They believe in this country and everything it stands for. And so should we.

Welcome Olivia Cate!!!

I hope you join me in welcoming the newest member of our family....Olivia Cate, my granddaughter, was born on Thursday, March 11th. Michael now has a little sister. And I have a little girl to spoil! I will see to it that neither she or Michael ever want for anything. As I grow older I realise that there is nothing more important than our families, and I think my son is beginning to come to the same realization.