A True Blessing

Six days ago, an 8 year old boy with Autism wandered off at a local Battlefield Park (where he was visiting with his family) and became lost in the thick woods. Thousands (over 6,000) of tireless volunteers have been scouring the area north of Richmond, Virginia for the last six days. As time wore on, everyone began to fear the worst, but hope and pray for the best. Tonight, just as sleet and freezing rain are moving into the area, news broke that the little boy, Robert Wood Jr., has been found alive. It is truly a blessing and a testament to human goodness when people rally in the face of a crisis. We hear so much negative news, I'm happy to report that this story is getting plenty of media attention in Richmond tonight - we are rejoicing!

Kindness in the Midst of Wartime Cruelty

It is rare to hear about glimmers of peace and kindness such as this one from an article in the Washington Post. Here's an excerpt:

“I think this boy had an innocence that allowed my grandfather to leave the war where it was when he came home,” Ruse said. His grandfather returned, he said, without the weight of bitterness and hatred that scarred so many other survivors.

A young boy in Japan helped keep an American POW alive with scraps of food and scraps of hope. Let's all pray that there are kindnesses such as this being bestowed upon people entangled in today's wars... Read the Washington Post article.

Beauty and Words to Consider

This Christmas I Pray

This Christmas I pray for the single mother of teenagers fighting stage 4 lung cancer. This Christmas I pray for the grandchildren whose grandfather is fighting that same disease, as well as the young daughters whose (also young) father is also fighting that insideous illness. I pray for the woman whose husband died of it five years ago this Christmas. I pray for the mother having her first Christmas without her son, who took his own life last winter. I pray for the wife and mother who is trying to hold everything together with a husband stricken by brain injury. I pray for the mother whose son was miraculously spared in a terrible accident but who is grappling with the burdens of the aftermath. I pray for the extended family of that boy as well, who has been so injured in so many ways. I pray for the couple who was expecting to spend their first Chrismtas with a new baby but who had to bury that baby instead. I pray for the wife who is struggling with the meaning of love. I pray for the parents who are having to see their toddler undergo chemotherapy treatments. I pray for the son who mourns his mother every Christmas Eve. I pray for peace for them all. I pray that serenity is less elusive. I pray for wisdom, strength, and the courage to summon our better selves in the face of tragedy and challenge. I pray that we all appreciate the moments of joy we are blessed with. May God, or the Great Spirit, or the Benevolent Universe, smile upon us all.

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Poverty to Prosperity

The reason I share this article from the BBC News is because I find the details of the written account of the family's poverty riveting (and heart-wrenching), but also because it is so ironic that the actor whose family is portrayed in that writing earned his fame portraying a down-and-out unemployed worker in the very same area of England. Three generations - from abject poverty to Hollywood fame. It's glorious. As much as it pains us to read the family's woes, it is equally exhilarating to see how quickly - in the relative scheme of things - they rose from those woes and created better lives.

The other reason that this particular article really peaked my interest is that in so many ways it is very much like my own family's history. While I am not a Hollywood star (LOL), my life situation would be completely amazing to my own (maternal) great grandmother, who, by the time she was my age, was dead. She worked scrubbing floors and doing others' laundry, she was a young widow raising 6 - or was it 8 - ? children, she was gone far too early. But looking at the life cycles that she put into motion, she would be proud and very satisfied that her efforts were certainly not in vain. That is why stories such as this are so blissful.

Buying Happiness?

The Dalai Lama is donating $50,000 to a new reserach center focused around meditation. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, in Wisconsin, will study whether meditation can promote kindness and compassion. Read more, from the New York Times.

Just What I Suspected!

I have always suspected that a good massage did more than just soften up the tight spots. And now, research shows that massage causes biological changes such as enhanced immunity and a drop in the stress hormone, Cortisol. Read more from the New York Times.

Remembering Dad

It's been 8 years since my Daddy passed on. His grandsons would have loved him, and he would have loved them. He'd be happy to know that they are growing big and strong and good. Just like their Pop-Pop.

From Summer 2010

Hard at Work & Don't Need Anything in Return

Despite hard times in local school districts, students will see some unexpected improvements when they go back to school thanks to group of 500 good citizens from Chesterfield and the tri-cities area. Read more from NBC12.com.