Do you remember going to vacation bible school during the summer when you were a kid?  I remember stories, music, games, puppets; and, one memory in particular of a lady that made music by rubbing the tops of glasses that were filled with different levels of water…she was a talented lady!  She could make those glasses sing so beautifully.

       In any case, this week kicks off bible school.  Our goal is to teach the children and create the same kinds of memories that most of us grew up with.  God loves children and children love him…so, it will be several days of good times…and hopefully opening doors for the children in the community who don’t already have a church to go to; and for the ones that do….it will be a nice time for them to visit another church program. 

          It is about this time in the summer, when children are starting to get bored with summer vacation; and are either vegging out in front of the television; or they are bored, and getting into trouble because they don’t have something positive to do. 

         So, we will break out the puppets, the music, the gospel illusions…praise and worship…great bible lessons with life applications for kids who have to live in today’s world and hopefully, we will create another generation of children who love the Lord and serve him into their adult years.  Hopefully, they have fun, as well, while they are enjoying their time together.

           The future of the churches today are in jeparody because the world tells the children and their families that they are in control of their lives and they don’t need to have faith in God to have a good life.  A spirit-filled life has so many benefits for families struggling to make sense of our upside down world today.  Hope is something valuable; God has an un-ending supply… and we need to find ways to deliver that hope to our children on a regular basis; starting with vacation bible school for those who have never had the experience!

      Once again the news has been covering a recent trend of crimes regarding an obsession with what lies within; another woman has been found dead after having her baby cut out of her womb.  This scenerio has been happening all too frequently over the last decade or so…women being killed for the babies that they carry inside of their wombs.  It leaves a terrible legacy of emotional difficulties for family and friends not to mention the child; if it miraculously survives the amateur delivery.

          In many of the cases, the women who do the killing have had an obsession with having a baby or being pregnant; often they have tricked those closest to them into believing they are pregnant and about to deliver.  Then, after they have stolen an infant, they try to pass it off as their own birth child. 

         This goes beyond a normal desire to have a child…going through infertility and feeling the normal range of emotions that a woman would have about not being able to give birth.  It is hard for most of us to understand how someone could become so obsessed with a desire to have a baby; that they could MURDER, a pregnant woman, to meet their own needs. 

          How does a person transform from a normal, temporary depression or sadness due to miscarriage or infertility, to becoming a person who murders?  Do they lose their ability to know right from wrong?  Maybe through the court system’s expert witnesses (mental health experts) we will get more information about this condition.  This past week the life of another young woman, about to become a mother, was tragically stolen.

       An 18 year old woman was found dead with her belly cut open, her womb having been invaded; her child missing.  The young woman’s name was Kia Johnson.  She was allegedly found in the apartment of another woman by the Andrea Curry Demus.  Ms. Demus has been charged, as of sunday, with several charges including kidnapping, unlawful restraint (Ms. Kia Johnson was bound by the hands and feet with duct tape), and murder.

        Ms. Andrea Curry Demus allegedly tried to say that she had given birth to the baby, who still had it’s umbilical cord attached, when she showed up to a hospital with the baby.  When tests were performed, it revealed that she was not the baby’s birth mother. 

       This is not the first time that Ms. Demus has allegedly taken someone else’s infant.  In 1990, she was found with a 3 week old infant that she had removed from a hospital, after the child’s mother left for home overnight.  The day before that, she had stabbed another woman because she allegedly planned to steal her infant.  Ms. Curry was incarcerated after pleading guilty in 1991 and was paroled in 1998.  We have not heard too much about what happened in her life between 1998 and now, 2008.   Did she get any psychological help during this time?  I don’t know, maybe this tragedy could have been prevented.   If these current allegations are true about her, Ms. Curry is not alone in her quest; to have a child by whatever means possible.

          Quite often in these cases of alleged womb raiders,  you’ll notice it is reported that the convicted women have suffered either extreme infertility, miscarriages or a mental condition that has left them with an obsession to have a child.  The extent to which they will go, to have a child, is often missed by those closest to them.  They need medical and psychological treatment to protect others from violence; but many times, before family or friends even suspect that professional help is needed; it is too late…a crime has been committed, and lives have been destroyed.

        I am sad for the victim, Ms. Kia Johnson, and her friends and family.  They have all suffered a terrible tragedy and will need alot of support.  Pregnancy is such a special time in a woman’s life…unfortunately, it is also when she is most vulnerable.  It is sad to think that along with typical worries about what to eat, what to avoid, getting check ups…a woman must also be constantly concerned about her physical safety from predators, wherever she goes!

     This is a controversial issue.  I heard that starting in September (at least here in Michigan); custodial parents will be charged a yearly, one time fee of $25.  This is in relation to parents of children who have been receiving child support.  This fee is being charged as a matter of federal law to help offset the amount of money the government has to spend finding deadbeat parents who skip out on supporting their children.  At least that is the way that i understood the news report.

       Many of the parents who receive child support and have custody of their children say, why should they have to pay an annual fee?  After all, it is costly to raise children; and, if one parent is not paying their share of the support, it is even more financially difficult, for the parent who has custody, to make ends meet.  Ultimately, it is the children who suffer for lack of proper support…both physically and emotionally from the abandonment of the deadbeat parent. 

          Both men and women are guilty of leaving their children in a poverty position by not paying child support.  It is an emotional issue.  Many parents who are no longer together mistakenly think of the money as “being given to the other parent”; that money is needed to support those children.  It is to be spent on the needs of the children.  That means a roof over their head, food to eat, clothes to wear, providing them an education, medical insurance…all of the necessities in life. 

         The child support can’t be thought of in terms of supporting the custodial parent…it has to go, to that parent, to support the children.  If the needs of the children aren’t being provided for…that is when authorities need to be brought in to assess the situation.  But, really, the child support should not be used as a weapon against the other parent; see it as a responsibility to the child/children.

       From the news report I heard, the government has been able to round up quite a few delinquent parents; and, has been able to restore about a billion dollars in back child support.  They do this by taking their income tax returns or lottery winnings…or in many cases…garnishing their wages.  That billion dollar amount is astounding.   If paying an annual fee helps to offset the money it takes to find these parents who don’t pay child support and it makes them financially accountable to help provide for their children…maybe it is a small price to pay.  Why couldn’t the system repay the custodial parent the money out of the funds they recover from the deadbeat parent; after they find them and garnish their wages?

      I know, I know…there are some that disappear again after they are found; they will quit their job, so that they don’t have to pay until the next time they get caught.  The only way to change that is to hit them where they hurt…take away their freedom.  If they skip out after being found…they should automatically do jail time; and maybe, some kind of work program while they are incarcerated; while the earnings go to the children. 

        A commitment to support the children that we bring into the world should be encouraged in a way that helps to provide not only money to the children but a real presence in the lives of the children.  Kids have emotional needs that don’t get met when a parent checks out on them.  The damage can last a lifetime and affect future generations as well.  Parents must be held accountable; parenting isn’t easy, but it is the most important thing you will ever do.

        What do you think about this issue of charging the fee?  Will it be helpful or harmful in the long run?

      Talk about a intense flare up of a conversation.  This week on The View, a conversation took place that was shocking in it’s intensity between the races.  The show got onto the topic of conversation of using the “N” -word because of a conversation recorded between (Reverend and i use the term lightly here, only as a matter of clarifying which Jackson made the comment) Jesse Jackson and another person.   Jesse Jackson, Jr. was horrified that his father made such statements; and publicly chastised him for doing so. 

          In that conversation, Jesse Jackson made a couple of inappropriate comments regarding Barack Obama.

      It seems that Jesse Jackson takes issue with the way that Sen. Obama speaks to the African American population.  He said it made him want to rip off his n–s.  Then later, it was also revealed that he allegedly, also used the other “N”- word. 

       On the view, Elisabeth Hasselback made a comments saying, that she felt it was inappropriate to use that word in private or in public.  Wow, did the other “ladies” of the view take issue with her.

        The focus of tension towards Elisabeth was nothing less than hostile.  Sherri Shephard said, “don’t you dare tell me, not to use that word”.  She also said to Barbara Walters, “I don’t want to hear that word comming out of your mouth”.  Sherri said that to her, after Barbara phrased a question to her; about, whether it made a difference whether a white person said the “N”-word or whether another African American said it.  That was harsh Sherri…definately.  Doesn’t that feel like a bit of reverse racism; OR IS THAT THE WHOLE POINT?

          When Elisabeth was overcome with emotion, Barbara Walters told her to take a breath and let someone else talk.  It was rude of Barbara and dismissive of the depth of Elisabeth’s convictions on the subject.   The balance of conservative/liberal general opinions is off on that show. Topics often feel one sided as opposed to a real collection of multiple views.

          Yes, Elisabeth does talk too much on subjects that she feels strongly about.  Part of that I am sure, is because she is the only “voice” of conservative republicans on the show.  However, I can honestly say, there are days when some of the other co-hosts are guilty of the same thing…dominating the conversations.  Most of the time, I can do without watching The View…it often turns into a circus of people talking over the top of each other.  There seems to be less respect given to each other as time goes on.

       Whoopi started out being calm in my opinion; but, when the others jumped all over Elizabeth like a trampoline…Whoopi got worked up and became short with Elisabeth as she tried to clarify her statements.  She said that Elisabeth, had to understand that black people were hurt by that word because of the history of it…and so, black people now “own” the word and have given the word new meaning.  Many people feel that it is ok…as long as African Americans use the word towards one another…but, no white people have the “right” to use it at all. 

       Basically, the show came across with the impression that the other co-hosts felt that Elizabeth, nor any white people, have a right to be offended by the use of the “N”-word in their presence. 

         In my opinion, it feels like verbal abuse to hear that word; used towards another human being.  I think that is what Elizabeth was trying to convey, that it is almost like visiting a friend who’s spouse is verbally abusing them.  By keeping quiet, you feel as if you are condoning such behavior.  By speaking out against people using that word towards another person…Elizabeth stepped on to a racial landmine, that she had no idea existed between her, and her co-hosts.

         Sherri Shephard also said that in her family, the “N”-word was used as a “term of endearment”.  Elisabeth’s point was, that she had a difficult time understanding why using a word that had such a negative history, as a term of endearment, was a good thing.  I think Elisabeth was getting flustered because of the intensity of the hostility directed at her comments, by her co-hosts.  She wasn’t making herself clearly understood.  But, truly, why would someone want to be called a word that, for many people, was connected to a demeaning, violent, hurtful and dismissive way of life in our country’s past; and, often present society ?

       I think using words like that, only serves to inflame resentment and violence.  Getting touchy about who uses the word seems ignorant to me.  Why would anyone who respected themselves, want to use the “N”- word as a way of greeting, a term of endearment, or as a way of connecting to another person.  Just knowing that some people use the term as a weapon should inspire African Americans to demand that NO ONE CALL THEM SUCH A NAME…out of a matter of respect. 

        I fail to see how redefining the word gives the word new power.  It is still an ugly word, just because of it’s connection to it’s former usage.  If someone used that term to refer to anyone in my family then, i would feel that they were demeaning them and attempting to de-value who they are as a person.  

           This conversation on The View, was the equivilent of taking the temperature of our country’s race relations…unless we find better ways of communicating what we think and feel…the future is going to be no further along, in healing the hurts in anyone’s hearts or minds.  No matter what tone of voice is used with that word…it “feels” like an insult…not a term of endearment! 

       If you knew that your child, sister, brother, father, mother or someone important to you was in danger…would you take action to change what was about to happen?  I would say that most of us would agree, that if we could change the chances of our loved ones being in danger or suffering….most of us would do the thing that it would require to keep them safe!

        So then, why is it when the truth is staring us in the face about the health of our planet and the danger we are in with global warming; and the impact, that it is having on the world around us…most of us are not changing our daily lifestyle habits in a way that will help to prevent or slow down the destruction of our earths environment? 

        Denial has been a mainstay for many years by governments, scientists; not to mention corporations.  As individuals we have to demand from our leaders more information and more action regarding protecting our environment from destruction.  We also, as individuals…have to change the way that we live…making greener choices in both big and small ways.  Those same leaders in the areas of government and science are now willing to admit that the greenhouse gas situation is critical.  Corporations are a bit more reluctant because the cost to operate their business is going to increase with greener business practices.  Still, if we don’t start demanding it…it will take too long to ensure that changes are made with enough time to make a difference.

       What can we do to insure that the earths environment is going to be safe and healthy enough for our children, and our grandchildren to survive?  We can make changes…we can sacrifice a bit of convience to gain a better atmosphere for our loved ones to live in.

        Former Presidential hopeful Al Gore has been creating an awareness for quite sometime…he has withstood public ridicule from those who are less informed about the seriousness of the issue.  He has been getting plenty of professional support in recent years about his message.  Check out some, of what he has to say here:  http://www.algore.com/

        Other celebrities are working towards not only awareness but action.  Some are touting alternative energy sources, others are encouraging making the choice to hybrid vehicles, still others are working towards educating the public about using renewable building supplies.  Each of those things are important and valid. 

       Some companies are taking a responsible path in how they package their products with less packaging.  Some are harnessing solar energy to power their buildings.  Many individuals are backing the goal of increasing wind power to bring some additional renewable power to compensate for the increasing demand for electricity on the power grid.  There are things we all can do.  So, are you ready for the truth of the matter of global warming and the greenhouse gas issues or are you going to settle for the painful consequences?

        Read also: http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/green-group-of-eight/or http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/the-earth-cries/ or http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/smart-people/

      News today was announced that Britney Spears and her ex-mate, Kevin Federline have agreed to a custody agreement that is going before the court, for a judge’s signature to become official.  Kevin Federline will get sole custody of the two boys that he and Britney had together; Jayden James and his older brother Sean Preston, once that document is signed by court officials. 

       Britney Spears continues to receive visitation; which at this point, according to media reports, includes one, over-night visitation and a couple of visits per week.  Britney has had a rough time physically and emotionally over the last year or two; since her divorce. 

         Britney had very public outbursts and was hospitalized twice, involuntarily.  She has been doing remarkably well since her father Jaime took over a conservatorship many months ago.  He was successful in removing some negative influences by having the court’s approval in deciding who could be physically present around Britney.  She has had more stabilized public appearances and has even been productive professionally.  She has appeared on television in a couple of acting roles and she has been getting back to her music.  This, after a much publicized effort to get back into shape physically by working out. 

      All of those accomplishments have allowed the courts to reward her efforts, to get her life back on track, by increasing her time with her boys; after having stopped visitations previously.  It is crucial for Kevin Federline and those in the court system to continue to see Britney Spears’  improvements in areas of concern that affect her children and herself.  Working on the relationships in their family is wise and will be to the benefit of the children as well as the adults involved.

       If things continue to stablize in her life; the court could always increase her visitation time with her children.  This agreement by the parents shows their ability to put their children’s needs ahead of their own desire for control.  Well done!      

      Well, today was the day…it was the first year anniversary of the starting of this blog.  What started out as a way to build confidence in myself and my writing skills turned into a real relationship with myself and the news around me.  It has been fun…it has been educational; and, it has been a way to document what goes on in the world around me; and, helps me understand how i interpet those issues.  So much has happened in the last year, that to remind myself, of the ups and downs…I  just go back and read random blog posts.   The postings remind me of current events that have happened, celebrity happenings, life changing events; and in general, all of the emotional ups and downs involved in daily living.  At times, i think…did i write that…do i still feel the same way about that subject…is there more current information than I had at the time i wrote the post?  Sometimes i update the posts with current information if it is important to the post.

       It is sort of interesting to me to go back and read any post that was written; and, see what i found interesting enough to post on that day.  Some days were extra interesting evidently, as i may have posted two, three, or more times :)  LOL  What can I say…the world is an interesting place!!!  I can’t wait to see what this next year will hold. 

        When i started this blog, i was intimidated.  I thought, what do i have to say that anyone will find interesting.  So far, as of today, i have had almost 41, 587 readers!  That number amazes me.  I wanted to write about things that connect us all…i wanted to reach out to others and write things in such a way that it communicated a connection to each other; and, a willingness to help each other understand and to share with each other how we each see things.   This last year was a piece of history…how did it impact you? 

          I titled the blog, Write Where You Are, because as a person who considers herself a writer; i wanted to be inspired by the everyday things that we all experience.  It was a bit of an experiment.  You know, three different people can view a crime, as it happens; and when interviewed by authorities, give three different accounts of the same, exact situation.  That is the way that i viewed my postings (other than personal posts); we all experience current events that make the news.  How we view them and how it affects us, is very different.  That is where the comments come in; many people are shy and don’t write what they think…others do.  Some are very vocal about their views and communicate them well. 

       Some of the postings on this blog were just my observations; some of them were personal, others still were meant to educate on topics that are near and dear to me; or, to others that are important to me. 

         The number one posting that was read the most was the posting on the income tax refund stimulas checks.  Everyone was interested in getting it and using it to offset the difficult financial times that so many people in the US have had this year.  The next important posting was on Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  It was important because it (breast cancer) touches so many women and their families…the information was not a, read it and forget it, kind of post.  So many sent me emails over that one…i prayed for those in earnest.  Then, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders…that one means alot to me also…it was titled Drinking While Pregnant…educating people about the dangers of drinking while pregnant and the effects on the fetus; the negative effects are lifelong.  I encouraged people to stay away from the alcoholic beverages because of the damage they can cause to their child and their future!  Many people just haven’t been made aware of the dangers involved; it is important for them to know that they can prevent those birth defects from making a life difficult for their child.

       So, what started out as a way to hone my writing skills, has turned into something more; it has turned into a need to pay more attention to the things and people around me; and, to make an impact in a positive way…to examine and understand why i think and respond the way that I do, to those very same things.  So, I am happy to still be committed to following through and writing on things that matter; celebrating the human spirit.  LOL, I no longer have to ask, “what was I thinking”; because, all i have to do is go back and read it!  I thank you for reading and commenting when you feel moved to do so!

     In my family (and I expect many other families as well) there was an unwritten sibling rule.  It was understood that no one else, in my presence, could pick on any of my siblings.  It would be a punnishable offense to pick on one of my siblings; if i was around…no one was allowed to do that…unless it was me, of course.

       Oh to be sure, we had our differences…every family does.  However, on the school playground, in the neighborhood, on the buses or anywhere for that matter…we protected one another.  It was a matter of loyalty.

         So, I guess when i first heard about Madonna’s brother writing a book about his very famous sibling…i thought….what rubbish.  How could he do that to his sister in public?  I mean…what about the unwritten sibling rule?  Where is his loyalty?  Are there any boundaries that are “normal or typical” in their relationship?

          I thought, if you have issues with each other…work it out privately.  Then, after i heard some of the interviews that her brother has given…i thought, you know what…i would probably read the book.  There is a whole multiple layer level of “knowing” someone famous when you get to know them through the eye’s of someone who was or is close to that person.  This is what the publisher is counting on to make the book a best seller, I am sure.

       Madonna is a complex woman.  She is always changing her public personna.  She has done and said such outrageous things that it is almost like unraveling a mystery; trying to understand what makes her do some of the things that she does.  Many of her achievements are to be admired.  Many of the things she has done are revolting to me personally.  She is a mix of cutting edge and yet, thrown in, are fascinating details about her “mixed” messages of religion.  Throw in the terrible personal loss of her mother when she was a young girl, and the effects of that on the rest of her life; and it will shed some light on some of the areas of he psyche.

       That being said, as much as i hate to say it…i will read Christopher Ciccone’s book, “Life With My Sister, Madonna”.  Madonna has had a large impact on our society and culture over the years.  It is as much an effort to understand that influence; as it is, to understand what makes Madonna tick that propels me to read the book. 

      Mr. Ciccone should be forewarned…those of us reading the book will not only understand Madonna better; we will also understand him and what makes him tick.  You see, in my mind, for a sibling to break the unwritten rule…he/she has to have felt violated/taken advantage of/rejected/dismissed/or disrespected in such a way that they feel justified in breaking the rule. 

      However, I won’t support him financially for crossing the line regarding the unwritten sibling rule…I will “borrow” the book from my local library.  There is no sense in rewarding him for trading memories for cash about his sister; when it is something that I would expect from one of those school bullies …not a loving, loyal family member.  Would you write about a family member, or honor the unwritten sibling rule?  If so, why?

     I don’t know about you…but it really upsets me to hear about companies that keep cutting retirement benefits for those who have worked all those years for those benefits.  I really believe it should be illegal to change the benefits, due to a retiree.  I think whatever benefits were in the contract at the time of the worker’s retirement should be enforced until death.  A retired worker lives on a fixed income provided by the pension and benefits afforded them at the time of their retirement…taking that away or lessoning what they receive is at the very least immoral in a world that we all know is getting harder and harder to make ends meet.  Reducing the income of a person who based their decision to retire on what they were promised at the time of the retirement just feels wrong.  How can we expect them to survive in a world that the cost of living is rising disproportionately to the amount of money they receive on a monthly basis; reducing that amount should be considered criminal.

       It seems to me that when a person works for a company for x amount of years, and retires out of that company with certain benefits…it should remain unchanged; meaning…whatever benefits are available to them at that time should remain in effect for life. 

        All of these companies who are restructuring by cutting those pensions and benefits appear to be ruthless to me.  Cut back in other ways…but, dont cut the throats of the former employees on whose backs you built your business in the first place.  Take care of your retirees; present employees, don’t resent the retirees… without all of their hard work…you may not have had the company that you now work for.  Cut back on new hires in the work force, cut back on production costs, cut down perks for CEOs or executives, cut back on pay raises or some other means available… take care of your present employees and your retirees.   Cutting your retirees benefits feels unethical to me.  What do you think?

       There is something special and unique about the bonding that takes place when people bond through their shared experiences.  Something that i noticed when my parents each went through their cancer diagnosis and treatment sessions…intense bonding with fellow cancer patients and their families.  That bond in those relationships was a lifeline at times.  The fear of the unknown, the medical traumas, the difficult side effects, the kindness of strangers it all blended to remind us that we were not in the situation alone.

         During hospital stays, during chemo treatments, and doctor appointments; my parents and other patients would share things about their families, about their experiences, their struggles, medical information, tips on how to overcome nausea, or how to cope with some of the side effects of the treatments.   Some patients were alone…they had no family or else their family members lived in distant places.  We would adopt them and visiting and trying to support when we could.   It was all very intense. 

        In what amounts to a, down in the trenches, fight for their lives; cancer patients bond in very intense ways.  When fellow patients would struggle…my parents would ask for prayer for them, from us.  We are blessed with a strong family unit.  We would honor the request …knowing that if we needed the favor returned…it would be given automatically by those same cancer patient friends and their families.   We were all in a fraternity; that none of us wanted to be in….but still, we were in it together.

       The losses hit hard.  The emotions were so deep for my parents and for our family.  Each loss, it was understood, could have been ours as well; but for the grace of God.  Each milestone was celebrated.  Waiting for the results of testing was, and is, filled with anxiety and fear.  It is no less worrisome to hear of others around the world who struggle with the same issues.  http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcinthenews.htm

       When Robin Roberts, from Good Morning America, went through her diagnosis of breast cancer; it hit hard.  She comes into our family home each morning, on television…she has become part of our family.   When she shared her experiences with her treatment…she intensified the bonding we felt with her.  My son’s very young teacher was going through the same thing at the same time.  We lost her recently, even though she battled with everything she had.  In my heart, i know that if Robin Roberts was in our local circle of support…she would have been connected to the loss, in her heart; just as she connects in her own circle of fellow cancer patient sufferers.  That is just how it is in the realm of brotherhood and sisterhood of cancer warriors.

       Part of what i loved most about Robin, during this time in her life, was her role modeling of spirituality; it is often overlooked in the battle with cancer.  Human beings are an amazing blend of mind, body and soul.  Cancer attacks all three levels of being.  Healing requires battling on all three levels.  Robin was very upfront about appreciating all of the prayers and support directed towards her; and, she often said how blessed she was.  Many patients don’t have all of that.  But compassion was at the forefront of Robin’s fight with cancer.  I admire that about her.  In using her fame, she encouraged donations to the locks of love organization when she donated the wig she used during her treatments.  Check out the organization here: http://www.locksoflove.org/.

       Today,  i was touched once again because Robin was so moved because of the passing of Tony Snow, the former press secretary for the White House.   He left his position last year when he had a reaccurrance of colon cancer.  Robin Roberts interviewed him on his last day in office and she considered it a priviledge to do so.

       As she shared with us today, it hit her hard that he passed away over the weekend.  She said how special that day was that she interviewed him…how it was a sort of gift of encouragement to her; as she had been recently, diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of the interview. 

        On the clip that was shown of the interview…you can see the emotion in Tony Snow come across as he shared how important it was to let people in who love you.   He said, as his emotion shimmied across his face and his chin quivered….”Just let them in…let them love you”.  It moved Robin then, and it moved her today, as she said how important that interview was to her.  They talked about pampering herself when she needed to…Tony advised her to do that when she needed it.   He encouraged her to work when she felt up to it….take it easy when she needed to take it easy.  Basically, Tony Snow empowered Robin to continue to do the things that uplifted her and strengthened her…to do the things, that kept her focussed on her well-being.

      If you know someone who is struggling with cancer…recognize the importance of the relationships they share with other patients.  Encourage them to reach out.  It is hard when losses occur….but, the pain of the loss is because of the intensity of the gift of the human connection.  It is a strengthening of the soul to be able to connect to others; and, it should be celebrated.  See also:  http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/robin-roberts-made-me-cry/, http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/triple-negative-breast-cancer/, http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/roller-coaster-ride/.