Memorial Day

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. In the U. S. it is a day set aside to honor and remember those who died on the battlefield. Mostly, children today don't even know what the day is about, except that school is almost over.

Our President has asked people to stop at 3:00 PM for a moment of silenced to remember those who are on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan. I suggest we do one better. Why don't we stop for a moment of prayer for those soldiers and all other soldiers? A moment of prayer will do much more good than a moment of meditation.

Ask a soldier which he would rather receive, kind thoughts or prayers.

Another Mother's Day Thought--2 Kinds of Mothers

My current job has left me somewhat jaded. I work with beautiful little babies and children, but many of the mothers seem to view their children as an afterthought. I won't venture to guess why they have put their child's needs on the back burner when other parents don't. I daily see parents come to the center to pick up their children after leaving them in our care for almost 12 hours. Instead of greeting their child, they are talking to someone else on the cell phone. How is it that the parents don't notice the child's crushed expression?

Daily, parents bring sick children to our center. We actually have to demand the parents come to give medical attention to their children--even though many qualify for and receive free medical attention. One parent was called at 10:30 a.m. to pick up her feverish child. He also has many other medical problems. Mom wasn't working and receives free child care. She didn't pick up her son until the center closed at 6:30 p.m. Even though the child has free medical care, the mother never bothered to take the child to the hospital. She brought him back to the center every day for a week. Daily he would be fever free in the morning, but developed a high temperature couple of hours later. Children's Tylenol, anyone?

Then I went to church on Mother's Day. Naturally the mothers were recognized in various ways.

Then there was a baby dedication. About 10 couples brought their babies in front of the church to publicly acknowledge that they were responsible for the raising of their own children. They accepted that it was their job to instill morals and values in their children.

I felt a glimmer of hope burning within as I watched these parents, barely in their 20's standing before the congregation, determined to go the extra mile for their babies. I know that they don't have a clue about what the future holds. Maybe that's what makes parenthood such a tender, personal adventure.

I hope that they enjoy the adventure as much as I did--and still do.

Mother's Day Escape

I spent some time at a bookstore this Mother's Day. I needed some time to escape my troubles and just relax--kick back in a fluffy armchair with a cup of java--and escape for awhile into a world that books offer.

That's the great thing about books. They are a very inexpensive way to escape.

I never know how to get rid of my books after reading them. After all, I read a lot of books. This is a store for recycled books that are in good shape. This bookstore will buy many of your old books and give you cash or store credit. Great, a responsible way to get rid of my old books! After all, they aren't doing anyone any good sitting on a bookshelf.

Everyone needs a respite and many of us are on a very tight budget. An escape to a bookstore for an hour to peruse their newest arrivals is just the beginning. Each spring I look forward to sitting on my deck in my favorite lawn chair, with a novel in hand. I have a tall glass of iced tea and my favorite tunes playing in the background. I traveled all over the world in that lawn chair last summer. Those hours were some of the best parts of the summer.

By the way I found a Michael Crichton hardback for summer reading.

Happy reading!