Remembering Caylee Anthony-Showing Respect

Today is the day of the Caylee Anthony memorial.  This ceremony brings to light so many layers of human emotion that it takes a while to sort out how a person really feels.  This whole sad story has been in the news for quite some time now and it will be a staple in the news for a much longer period of time.  Isn’t that ok?  I mean…doesn’t a life have value far and beyond a momentary clip in the obituary section of the newspaper when that life was stolen from it’s owner?

I was annoyed this morning as I viewed my twitter feed.  There was a person who was bemoaning the fact that they were anticipating another day when the news of Orlando would be overshadowed by more news about the Anthony family; as they hold the memorial service for Caylee.  At first, i was very put out by their 140 character statement on Twitter.  Then i stopped and thought about it…I guess to some degree i can understand that there is much going on in that area that is good and newsworthy as well.  The Orlando has much positive news to report as well as this terribly sad news…so i decided to ignore the momentary bluntness of that person’s comment.

I dont live in the area which is probably a good thing.  I would most likely want to be at that service for the beautiful child Caylee; just as a sign of respect for her as an innocent life that was taken.  It is amazing the  connection that some people have to this young child, myself included.  She has touched so many lives just because of how she lived and died.  It is unfair how she passed.  It is heartbreaking that her body can’t even be at her memorial.  It is unspeakable what was done to her.  So many questions about who, what , where, when and why; but not for today.

Today is about remembering her and sharing her short life with those who were/are close to her.  Their hearts are sad and grieving.  Those who have been touched in an emotional way who did not know her will also be sad.  But that two year old life deserves to have the good and happy memories talked about and shared.  She is more than a victim.  She was a real, live breathing child who played, sang, danced and learned.

Please, reporters, media, mourners and observers…don’t focus on things that don’t matter today.  Don’t harrass the family, dont speculate, dont focus on negativity or superficial things.  Remember Caylee and remember that she had a life before she became the victim of her killer; dont turn this into a media event , or a free for all.  She had friends, relatives, neighbors and people who cared about her and loved her; let’s show some respect and support.  Don’t sully her memorial service with all the ugliness…let her have some dignity!

As a side note: I have moved my site to a new Url: WriteWhereYouAre if you are interested in reading more blog posts!

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Remembering Auschwitz-64th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of The Jews

        Today is a day to remember, it is the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the Jewish people from the concentration camp Auschwitz.  It was a day of relief and a day of sadness.  Sadness for those who’s lives were lost before they could be rescued…and a day of relief for those who were still alive and had a chance for survival.  People want to forget the horrors of the concentration camps…or worse, they deny that it ever existed.  The prisoners at the concentration camps were there because of hatred; they were feared and they were hated just because of their heritage.  There is no excuse for genocide.

       If we are allowed to forget the horror of such evil…it could happen again.  If we deny that it ever existed then we are guilty of adding to the evil that took place and destroyed so many people.  It is a time of world history that must be observed.

      There are some who were there that still have memories of that time.  There are some who have loved ones who went through the extreme torture that was the concentration camps.  No group of human beings should ever be treated the way that the Jews were treated.  We lost so many people that could have added culture, music, craftmanship, business accumen…and so much more to the world.  It was and is a tragedy the likes of which we should hope to never see again.

       Think about the suffering and the misery that they went through.  The fear that consumed the soul.  Yet, there were those who resisted, those who aided others by sharing what they had to keep others alive, there were those who tried to hide individuals and help them escape the power of the SS.  The word hero is thrown around so often that people misunderstand the courage that it takes to stand strong in the face of evil, and destructive controlling power. 

       The human spirit is an amazing thing; the will to survive is amazing and can overcome many obstacles.  There are many individual stories from the holocaust and it is important to document them when you have the opportunity.  I posted an earlier story in this blog about Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, a talented artist who was incarcerated at Auschwitz.  She was forced to use her talent to paint individuals and gypsies from the concentration camp for Dr. Josef Mengeles the angel of death who performed terrible “experiments” on those behind the gates. 

       You can read about her and her efforts to get her artwork returned to her before she passes from this world into the next here:  https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/?s=dina+babbit .  Do you know any  stories of the survivors of the concentration camps?

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Missing Myrtle

       Sad news…actress Eileen Herlie has passed away.  Eileen played Myrtle Fargate on the soap opera, All My Children for 30 years.  She passed away from pneumonia on Wednesday October 8th, 2008.  She will be missed.  The thing is…i remember when she came on the show…:) wow…is that dating myself since i just told you she was on the show for 30 years…but, for all you know, I could have been 3 when she came on…let me live in my delusion for just one little moment, LOL.

         In any case, when she first came on the show…she play a mischievous con woman with a twinkle in her eyes and a lilting smile on her lips.  She was involved with the “carney” as she called it…the close knit group of people who float from town- to- town when the carnivals come to make a living.  Over the years, the character Myrtle took on a different personna.  She became the favorite quirky aunt that the younger relatives loved and admired and went to for advice much to the consternation of the older generations.  The older relatives and friends just could not predict what would come out of her mouth…whether her advice to “Erica Kane”, played by the wonderful Susan Lucci, would be appropriate or encourage the young woman to greater misdeeds.

          In the last decade or so…Myrtle took the place of trusted advisor to Erica Kane.  Erica’s mother Mona had passed away…so Myrtle became the foil to the willful Erica; giving her advice that was spot on…but most of the time Erica knew this but did her own thing anyway.  She was loving and affectionate towards Myrtle which helped the viewer’s fall in love with the new role that Myrtle played with their favorite vixen, Erica.

         We will be missing the character Myrtle…but…because the woman behind her was such a wonderful actress…Eileen Herlie will be sadly missed as well.  That is a tribute that every actor/actress wants to hear…that they played the character so well…that in the eyes of the audience…they became that very same character.  So, we grieve the passing of  “auntie” Myrtle (Eileen); she was part of the family.  I know it was just a soap opera…but, it feels a little bit sad.   May you rest in the arms of God in peace!

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Cancer Takes Talent-Paul Newman Passes Away!

       I have said it before, and i will say it again…cancer is a thief…it steals from us those that we love and it takes from us the talents & gifts that they were blessed with, as well.  Yesterday, cancer stole another well known person of talent, Paul Newman passed away.  Every person has merit and it isn’t that we acknowledge only those who are well known…but, because this is such a large world…it is important to mention that cancer steals people from all over the world; rich-poor, well known-and lesser known, married-single, old-young, male-female.  Cancer does not care who it takes…it just takes.  So we lose laborers, artists & musicians, educators, inventors, doctors, lawyers, researchers, librarians, farmers, janitors, we lose mothers/fathers, sisters/brothers,husbands/wives, and we lose children…we lose so very much that it hurts the tapestry of our lives!

        It would be a great day to make a donation to one of the charities that battle back against such an enemy.  http://www.standup2cancer.org/ or http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/ or http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp.

        I love that Paul Newman was a person of integrity and dedication.  He supported charities for many years that benefitted those afflicted by cancer and other devastating diseases…long before it affected his own physical being.  He cared; he cared enough to do something about it.    Paul Newman and his business partner created Newman’s Own line of salad dressings and other food items and donated the profits from that company to charities that benefitted many. 

        It is with grace and dignity that he battled the disease that took his life.  He lived his life as he wanted and didn’t appear to play games that some celebrities do regarding their status.  I liked that about him.  If that means that we didn’t get to know all kinds of personal and private information about him and his family…so what.  It just means that he didn’t buy into all the hype of being famous.   So, he had a long line of acting credits to his name, he made a name for himself with his race car driving, and his charities.  What matters most is that he loved his family and he positively impacted others with the gifts that he was blessed with. 

           That is the way we should all hope to be remembered…we lived, we loved and we left the world a better place by giving back in the ways that matter most! 

         

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Gone But Not Forgotten-Princess Diana

          She is gone but not forgotten, the fair princess; Lady Diana Spencer.  It has been 11 years since her death in a car accident in Paris. Her youth, her beauty, her energy has been frozen in time through the photos we view.  So much has happened since that time.  Her beloved boys have grown up, her ex-husband Prince Charles has remarried Diana’s nemesis, the world has continued to move onward. 

           Still, no one has ever been able to take Diana’s place of purchase in the hearts of the public who loved her so.  She who was able to accomplish so much in so little time here on the Earth.  Can you imagine how much more she would have been able to do in a world full of hurts because of her ability to leverage her legacy?  She set a great role model with the work that she did for charities…that does not have to end.  People can follow her example and achieve much in the world, through donating time and money to those in need.  So we remember her today…full of smiles, and a heart that bent towards those in need, those who suffered, and those who were meant to overcome.  How can you be a light in the world?

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All You Can Eat-At The Salad Bar Of Pain And Abuse

       Have you ever known someone who is in a totally disfunctional relationship and just seems destined to repeat patterns of negative and destructive behaviors?  I was thinking on this last night with a young teenaged couple that i know.  They spend all of their time together…fighting…hurting…crying…begging…breaking up…for-giving….manipulating…emotional arm wrestling…isolating…and starting all over again.  They are on the phone…or in person…tuning everyone else out..until they self-destruct.  Then, the explosion, they want everyone to feel their pain.  When counseled…all they can think about is “fixing it” and getting back together.  They get back together all right…but nothing ever gets fixed.  It is an emotional war that definately takes prisoners.

        Then today, someone else that i care about deeply…has decided to once again go up for a heaping dose of all you can eat at the salad bar of pain and abuse.  Taking a little taste of negativity, nibbling on a chunk of guilt large enough to choke a horse, a dip of put downs and innuendo, a spoonful of diced self esteem, add a sprinkling of despair, a serving sized dollop of loneliness, add a slice of isolation, a bowl of anger, and lets not forget a huge serving of accusation.  Hey, you’ve already paid the price…there is no limitation on how much you can have…it is there if you only want more. 

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When One Wants It And One Doesn’t!

        Have you ever known a couple that is going through a serious trial in their marriage?  What about when one partner wants a divorce and one does not?  Have you ever wondered how hard someone should fight for their marriage?

         I know someone who is going through the battle to save their marriage.  He says he didn’t know how to show love.  His marriage was jepardized because of it.  He grew up with a father that was only able to show his love by working hard for his family…he didn’t know how to express it in any other way.  His children grew up to repeat those patterns.

         Now another generation is struggling to find ways to communicate love and devotion…but it may be too late.  His wife is ready to move on.  And yet, he still hangs in there…sacrificing his own wants and needs to bend over backwards to give her control over what happens to their future.  Not knowing if she will stop the divorce before it happens…not knowing if she can even remember what drew them together in the first place.

            She admits that she wants Prince Charming.  When she wanted to work on the marriage…he didn’t realize the depth of the issues.  He was in denial.  She was tired of trying to fix things on her own.  Things never got fully resolved.

          The hurt goes deep.  The clock is ticking…the legal proceedings are moving along.  Can it be saved in time before the divorce takes place…maybe, but they both have to want it.  They both have to find news ways of communicating with each other without falling into old patterns of behavior.  No one is blameless in this…we all are products of our previous relationships in family and romance.  Is it possible to move on and be happy if you can’t resolve the problems from your present relationships?  I hope healing can take place.

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Restaurant Owner’s Profit Or Loss-Hair Loss That Is

          There is a story out there right now that is making a huge impact on people’s hearts.  It is about a waitress and a restaurant owner.  As most restaurant owners own their businesses to make a profit; I am sure this particular owner in Ontario, Canada is in some ways regretting his decision to temporarily lay off a certain waitress, by the name of Stacy Fearnall, who shaved her head for charity.  Profit or loss determines alot of business owners decisions when running their businesses…I am sure this decision will be no different in the long run.

         It seems that Stacy has lost a few people to cancer and has friends who are, even now, being affected by cancer.  Stacy wanted to remember and honor them.  She wanted to participate in Cops for Cancer which is a charity that raises funds and awareness about the disease.   So by shaving her head, Stacy was able to raise almost three thousand dollars for the charity.  Kudos to Stacy and to the charity!

           However, when she got to work she was allegedly advised to either wear a wig or go home until her hair grew back.  The owner allegedly felt that his customers would be offended.  He has set standards for his employees about how they present themselves.  It seems as if some of the customer’s support his decision…but many others do not.    The power of public opinion will prove itself in the profit or loss numbers since the temporary lay off began.

           It is normally waitresses who get tips; but, i do have one for Mr. Hilliard…have more compassion in your heart and worry less about what people think in regards to the amount of hair one has on their head.  Do you think less of your customers who have bald or shaved heads?  Hair loss is a sensitive subject and one that people feel very strongly about whether it is from cancer or just natural hair loss.   If Mr. Hilliard thinks less of someone with hair loss, maybe he should try inviting those particular customers to come back when they grow hair back on their heads and see what they have to say about such a statement!  How would you handle this situation?

Ps…remember cancer affects us all support cancer research.  www.cancer.org/.   See some generally related articles that i have written.  https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/cancer-is-a-thief/. https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/robin-roberts-strength/

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Memorial Weekend

       Memorial Day is always a bittersweet time to me.  While people are out celebrating the day with picnics and parades…others are at the cemetaries; and many are mourning their own personal losses.  Each and everyone of our freedoms in the United States were purchased by the blood and sweat of a service member from the beginning of our country’s history.    Our town did something unique this year with a, Field Of Memories.  There was a flag and information representing each of the 92 service members, from Michigan, who lost their lives. 

         In this time of war with Iraq, whether you feel it is justified or not personally; i hope you found some way to honor the men and women who are committed to following through with their pledge to their branch of the service and to our country.  It is always a sacrifice; but never more so, than during war.  Freedom and honor don’t come cheap…many individuals gave their lives and limbs, for you and I. 

           Thank you to all who have served both past and present, in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, or The Marine Corps.  It can never be said enough, that you are appreciated; and, your families sacrifice of time with you, is not forgotten.  If you can find a way to support and encourage a military family please do so.  It is a way of giving back!

           

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Natalee Halloway-Missing in Aruba

       Today, it was announced that the three suspects in Natalee Halloway’s disappearance are not going to be prosecuted.  After two years and, many different attempts to prosecute the suspect’s they are not going to pursue the case; unless new information comes to the forefront.

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